Lonesome Hearts
by Damsell
Summary: 18 year old Bella has moved to the small Western town of Spoons Valley to meet up with her brother, Emmet, after their parents' deaths.  She figured that it would be like the Wild West that she read about, she never realized how wild things would get. AH
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is a departure from the type of fanfictions that I usually write, but I sincerely hope that y'all enjoy it! Please let me know what you think!**

Bella sat quietly on the coach, her fellow passengers sleeping nearby. She hadn't bothered to make friends with either of them. The old man sitting across from her was always sleeping and drooling onto his stubbled chin and the fat man sitting next to her, a Mr. Mallory, did nothing but leer at her. She swore that once or twice she'd actually caught him fingering the fabric of her skirts between his sausage-like fingers.

Pervert.

She wished she were still on the train. It had started off in Chicago, but it had only been able to take her so far. Little by little the towns they stopped at along the way had gotten smaller and smaller and then the railroad line had ended all together and she had switched to this coach. Now she was entering unchartered territory…

…the wild west…

She wondered how wild it could really be. She'd read Harper's Weekly which described a place of lawlessness filled with wild Indians and bandits. Thus far, the landscape had been rather barren and boring. There wasn't even a single buffalo in sight. Was that what her life was destined to become? Barren and boring?

She had hoped for excitement and her brother Emmet's letters had led her to believe that there wasn't a single boring day. She hoped that was true. Her life in Chicago had been sheltered. Her parents had always figured that they'd have time to introduce her to people in society when she was older, but all they'd done was make her shy and unable to deal with people very well. The only one she'd been able to open up to was Emmet.

She hoped that he would be happy to see her after all these years.

He'd told her that they were putting up a telegraph line in the small town near his ranch, but she hadn't received word from him that one was in place and letters took forever. So, after both their mother and father had died of some sort of fever within a week of each other, she'd left it to a trusted family friend to take care of their estate and had brought a ticket to go out west and find him. He was all she had left.

The last time she'd seen Emmet had been six years ago when she'd been a gangly 12 year old girl and he'd fought with his father about independence and wanting to "be his own man." Their father had never forgiven Emmet for leaving, but her mother had known it was for the best. She'd always told Bella that her big brother was never meant to be part of the business world like their father wanted. She knew that her mother had secretly supported Emmet's departure, going so far as to give him his portion of his inheritance early so he could settle wherever he wanted.

From the letters they had gotten over the years it seemed that he'd done well for himself. She and her mother heard about the land and the cattle, and they had giggled at the daguerreotype of Emmet dressed up in a long duster and cowboy hat. He was even bigger than she remembered if that was possible. She had sent him a couple of pictures over the years, but he claimed that only the one that showed her when she was fourteen had ever arrived and she figured that the others had disappeared somewhere along the way, never having reached him. She was different now, having grown into a beautiful young lady with porcelain skin, wide, doe-like, chocolate brown eyes, and full lips that made it seem like she was always pouting since her lower lip was slightly bigger than her upper lip. And, though she was petite at 5'3", she had curves in all the right places that were only enhanced by her corset and bustle.

Would he know her? Would he take her in?

The closer that the coach got to the small town called Spoons Valley, the more unsure of herself she became. When Mr. Mallory said that they were close, she perked up a bit and looked outside the coach's window. Now she was really nervous.

The coach eventually came to stop at a station and the driver helped her down onto a wooden platform. Looking around she noticed the stares coming her way from different people that were wandering about and she had the sudden urge to twirl a lock of her long mahogany hair around her finger or to smooth out the folds that made up the skirt of her brown satin dress, but she heard her mother's voice in the back of her head telling her not to fidget, so she looked around silently as the bags were unloaded from the top of the coach, her trunks being placed near her on the platform.

Right at his moment, coming here didn't seem like such a good plan. She was different. The women here were walking around in simple cotton dresses had an effortless, rural kind of beauty to them. She was out of place in her brown satin dress accented with black lace, small matching bonnet, and black earbobs. She also had no idea what to do now or how she was going to get a hold of her brother. He'd told her that his ranch, the Big E, was somewhere north of Spoons Valley, but that was the only information that she had.

Standing there the coach moved off and she was left alone, though her large traveling companion was standing nearby, talking to a young man that looked to be about Emmet's age. He had long blond hair, tied back in a ponytail and might have been called handsome if it wasn't for this uneasy feeling that she got from him when he looked her way and took her in from head to toe. Blushing brightly she turned away and looked around.

Someone had to know who Emmet was and would be able to take her to him.

She was just beginning to feel a sense of panic when she heard footfalls on the wooden platform and heard someone clear their throat behind her then say, "Excuse me, ma'am, but are you waiting for someone?"

She turned around and was staring to a pair of blue eyes set in a handsome, smiling face. He had curly blonde hair that fell just past his ears and as their eyes met he tipped his hat to her. He just seemed to radiate a sense of ease and authority. "Ma'am?" She blushed, realizing she was staring and she nodded. "Yes, sir. I was hoping I could find someone to take me to the Big E Ranch." The man smiled in response, "The Big E? Well, then, you must have been the gal that Em sent for. Figures that big loon would forget when you would be getting here. I'm Sheriff Whitlock, a friend of Emmet's. I'd be more than happy to take you out that way."

Emmet had sent for her? Had he found out about their parents somehow and she'd crossed paths with his letter along her journey here. That had to be it. Who else would Emmet send for?

"Thank you, Sherriff Whitlock. I'd really appreciate your help."

The man winked and simply said, "Call me Jasper, ma'am."

She blushed in response and gave him a shy smile. "Only if you call me Bella." He chuckled and nodded. "I'll just go get a wagon for your things and we'll be on our way."

She nodded and thanked him again. As he walked away he passed her travel companion and the young man he was with and he frowned and tipped his hat, "Mr. Mallory…James." From the way Jasper's tone had chance, she could tell that something wasn't quite right, but she couldn't figure out what. The tension was palpable.


	2. Chapter 2

She could feel that Jasper was looking at her every now and then as she sat next to him at the front of the wagon. She was pretty sure that she had a permanent blush that wasn't going to go away; she only hoped that the shade from the black lace parasol she was holding up to provide some respite from the midday sun was hiding the crimson color to her cheeks.

Jasper and one of his deputies, a Ben Cheney, had helped him load her trunks into the back of the wagon. As she stood there waiting, she noticed that people continued to stare even as Jasper helped her up into her seat. There hadn't been much conversation after that, but with the sheriff it seemed a more of an easy silence rather than an uncomfortable one.

After a while of nothing but brush and open country she got up the courage to ask, "Are we very far from the Big E, Jasper?"

He smiled at her and shook his head. "No, ma'am. Just several more miles. I'm sure you're anxious to get there. Em will sure be _very_ happy to see you." There seemed to be some sort of implication to his tone, but she couldn't quite make out what it was so she ignored it and decided to continue her line of questioning. "What's the ranch like? Is it big?"

He gave her a strange look and a frown at the question, but seemed to shrug off whatever he was thinking as he answered, "Well, it's several thousand acres. Don't know how many head of cattle he has, but he and Mr. Mallory pretty much are the biggest land owners and cattle holders around here. He's got a nice little operation going on." He shrugged again and continued to look ahead. Somehow she felt that she had done something wrong and she worried her lower lip a bit before she asked her next question.

"Is he happy?"

That question got a big smile from Jasper again and he nodded. "Em's about the happiest fellow I know. I don't think I've seen him get down about near anything, well, except….well, doesn't matter now that you're here." He winked at her again.

She wondered if Jasper meant that Emmet was lonely for his family and she smiled to herself. Now she was glad that she had come. Her brother needed her just like she needed him.

They continued to travel in silence until Jasper brought her out of her thoughts by saying, "There ahead. See the homestead?"

She peered into the distance and sure enough she saw a white two story frame house surrounded by several outer buildings and she couldn't help but smile in excitement. She was going to see Emmet, her big bear. She suddenly felt giddy as a twelve year old again.

As they pulled the wagon up to the front of the house she noticed several men milling around by some of the outer buildings which seemed to consist of stables, a barn, and some other small structures that she didn't know the use for. As Jasper climbed down she turned in her seat, her back to the house as she took everything in.

That's when she heard a screen door slam and heard a loud, booming voice that just tugged at her heart. "Jasper! What are you doing here and who do you got with you?" She turned in her seat and blinked back tears as she laid eyes on her big brother.

Emmet barely glanced her way and said, "Hello…" as he turned his big smile on Jasper who was moving around the wagon, but then it seemed to hit him and he looked at her again, going pale under his tanned skin and he whispered, "Bells?"

Before she could get a word out, he was pulling her off the wagon into his arms, squeezing her so hard that she couldn't breathe and she was sure he was going to crack a rib, but she didn't mind and she hugged him back, sobbing in his arms, her feet dangling at least a foot off the ground.

Jasper's voice broke through Emmet's own whimpers and he drawled out. "And, here I was thinking of stealing her away from you." He snickered. "You were afraid you wouldn't like her and she wouldn't like you."

Bella was thoroughly confused by Jasper's words and Emmet was turning crimson and obviously trying to hold in his legendry temper. Setting Bella down, he turned to Jasper, giving him a pointed look. "Sheriff Whitlock…this is my _sister_, Bella Swan."

Now it was Jaspers turn to blush and turning to Bella his eyes widened and he bowed his head a bit as he tipped his hat. "I'm…I'm sorry, ma'am. I thought you were…" Emmet issued a growl beside her as he curled his arm around her shoulders, tucking her close to him and Jasper frowned. "I was confused, ma'am."

"Damn right you were confused, Whitlock!" Emmet boomed.

Jasper muttered something under his breath and decided to avoid the situation by unloading Bella's trunks.

Turning to Bella, Emmet wiped at her tears with his big, gentle hands and whispered, "Bells, what's going on? What are you doing here?"

Now she just felt more confused. Hadn't Jasper made it sound like Emmet was expecting her? "Mom…mom and dad d…died." She burst into tears and felt herself enveloped in her brother's embrace again as he whispered, "Oh, sissy! I didn't know. I'm so sorry." She could tell he wanted to cry too.

Emmet might not have gotten on well with his father before he left, but he figured he had time to go back and make things right. Now he knew it was too late. Sniffling he held her and figured he should get her inside and have his housekeeper, Carmen, fix her a cup of tea. His voice hoarse he looked to Jasper, who hadn't been able to help overhearing, and said, "Jas, will you bring in her trunks. I'll have one of the fellas bring it up to one of the rooms later."

Jasper just nodded, looking at both Emmet and his sister in concern as his best friend picked up the little lady and carried her inside, cradling her in his arms.

When he'd seen Bella standing by the coach depot he had figured her to be a true lady and after he'd introduced himself he couldn't help but want to protect such a helpless, pretty thing. He'd almost felt a pang of jealousy when she'd mentioned the Big E Ranch. Ladies, especially pretty ones, were few and far between in these parts, but he wasn't the type to hold on to jealousy and more than anything he felt happy for his friend.

When Emmet had told him one drunken night that he'd sent away for a mail order bride, he'd expected someone from the dregs of society to show up. Emmet had never told him who this girl he'd sent for was or what she was like, only insisting that she was a lady, so when Bella had arrived, asking for Emmet and the ranch, he'd just figured…

He'd watched her from the corner of his eyes on the ride and wondered what such a pretty girl would be doing as a mail order bride when she'd turned to him and asked about the ranch. Then he figured she was a gold digger. Of course, that assumption was trampled when she asked if Emmet was happy. Perhaps Emmet had found the right gal after all.

Now he was just ashamed by all the lurid thoughts he had about his best pal's little sis. He sighed as he placed the last of the trunks on the porch and decided he'd leave them in peace. Right now they obviously needed each other. He would just have to apologize again later.


	3. Chapter 3

Emmet set Bella in the parlor on a nice wing-backed chair near the window. He hardly ever came into this room and didn't really see the need for it, but Carmen had insisted that it was necessary and usually smacked him upside the head when he ever went in there for trailing in dirt and mud. This was a room for ladies, she had always told him, but there had never been a lady here…until now. Of course, he had never dreamed that it would be his little sister Bella.

She'd changed over the years and obviously the changes were for the better. This almost made him scowl. He was going to have to keep his six-shooter by his side with as pretty as she was. Who'd of thought she would turn out to be such a looker?

Squatting down in front of her after he set her down in her seat, he wiped at her tears some more with his fingers. "It'll be all right, Bells. I'll take care of you." She could only nod and cry at his words and he continued to try and wipe at her cheeks. He frowned. "I'd lend you my handkerchief like a good gentleman, but I haven't been a gentleman in years and I'm afraid the one I'm carrying in my back pocket is dirtier than a whore's sheets."

He realized what he'd said and his brown eyes widened in horror. Her own expression reflected his as her eyes became larger and then she let out a soft snicker.

He frowned, "Well…shit." Then his large hand clamped over his mouth as he realized he'd not only mentioned whores in front of his sister, but now he was cussing in front of her as well.

She went into a fit of giggles then and clutched her stomach as it started to hurt while Emmet started to stammer out an apology. "I'm sorry, Bells! I ain't fit for polite society anymore!"

She continued to laugh, but managed to get out, "Oh, Emmet! What would mother say? Her baby boy talking about…about women of ill repute and cursing!"

Emmet ran his hand through his curly hair and frowned. "I'm going to go tell Carmen to get you some tea." _And, me a stiff drink_, he thought. He kissed her cheek as he got up and gave her a bit of a smile before he left the room.

Sitting there a moment Bella sighed and reached up to remove her bonnet which was half hanging off her head anyway. Setting it aside she smoothed down her hair and looked around the room. This room wasn't her brother at all. It was all feminine and delicate and for a moment she wondered if this Carmen was his wife…or something else. She blushed at the thought, not letting her mind wander too much in that direction.

Getting up she walked to the fireplace and looked at the small pictures set amongst vases of dried wild flowers. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the small picture that she'd sent him at fourteen along with pictures of their parents and another of them when they were very young children. Emmet had always had the same goofy grin.

She reached up to touch the picture of her parents when she heard someone enter the room and turning she saw an older lady that looked to be in her fifties come into the room carrying a tray of tea and some sort of biscuits. She was a pretty lady, despite her age, with dark black hair streaked with a bit of grey tied up in a bun, olive colored skin, and green eyes. When she spoke there was a soft Spanish accent.

"You must be Bella! _El Patron _speaks about you all the time, but I never thought I would have the pleasure of meeting you!" The lady put down the tray on a small table, came up and enveloped a startled Bella in a warm hug. Blushing, Bella hugged her back and whispered, "It's very nice to meet you, ma'am."

The lady chuckled, "You call me Carmen." She patted her cheek. "You must be hungry, _¿si?_ Come sit and eat. I'm sorry I don't have more to offer you than some rolls, your brother eats the cookies I make like he is a bottomless pit!" She led Bella over to a seat. "Sit! Sit! I made your brother go wash up. That boy would forget to wash half the time if I didn't remind him." She started to serve Bella some tea. "You sit, eat! It's not much, but it's fresh and I'll have more prepared for dinner. Of course you'll want to bathe and rest a bit. _Ay_, that reminds me, I should set some water to boil to draw you a bath and have Tyler pull that ham from the smoke house."

Bella just sat there wide-eyed, watching this woman bustle about her. How could one person have so much energy, she couldn't get a word in edgewise. Before Bella could even get out a thank you Carmen was hurrying out of the room again calling for someone named Tyler. She smiled to herself and thought that Carmen was just the type of person to keep her brother in hand.

Lifting up her tea cup she took a sip and smiled. It was just the way she liked it, just a bit too sweet for most people. Letting the aroma drift up to her nose she inhaled and then took another sip. She hadn't eaten in a while. Having Mr. Mallory looking at her through the whole ride had made her lose her appetite. Picking up a biscuit she nibbled at it and let out a moan of pleasure. The biscuit crumbled in her mouth and then just seemed to melt.

Emmet had been watching her from the entrance to the parlor and chuckled at her reaction. "Wait till you taste her _pan de polvo_ cookies. They're so god they'll make you cry."

Bella blushed at having been caught moaning, but she smiled at her brother and took another sip of tea. "She told me not to share the biscuits," she lied. Emmet snorted and sitting across from her he reached for one anyway. "Yeah, you used to say that when we were little too whenever there was cake." He winked at her and stuffed the whole biscuit in his mouth. She laughed and wrinkled her nose as she took another nibble of her own.

"You look good, Bells. All grown up…" he said when he had washed down the biscuit with some tea.

She blushed at the compliment and shrugged. "Was bound to happen eventually, bear."

He snorted, "I would have tried my best to have stopped it. You're prettier than any woman within a month's ride and I'm going to have to beat the men off with a stick."

Bella could only blush in response and she sipped a bit more tea and changed the subject so he wouldn't embarrass her more. "Carmen seems like a force to be reckoned with."

Emmet's booming laugh filled the room and he nodded. "One look from that woman could scare the pi..er, could scare a crooked man straight." He'd been about to say 'scare the piss out of a hardened man,' but he realized that that wouldn't be appropriate in front of his baby sis who looked so prim and proper sipping at her tea in front of him. Damn if this wasn't going to take some getting used to.

Bella smiled. "She keeps you in line then?"

Emmet chuckled. "Yes."

She nodded and asked quietly, a blush rising in her cheeks again, "So there isn't anyone…special?"

_Well, hell_, he thought. This was definitely one subject he had wanted to avoid.

Instead of answering he reached for another biscuit and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. He almost choked when he felt a smack to the back of his head.

"_¡Cabrón!_ I know that your _mamá _brought you up with better manners than that now that I've met your sister!"

Emmet managed to swallow down the biscuit and he scowled at Carmen who was pointedly ignoring him and looking at Bella.

"_M'ija_, your bath is ready and I've had Tyler take your things upstairs. Let's get you settled and you can clean up and rest before supper."

Bella was trying not to giggle at the whole situation and she nodded. Getting up she walked over to Emmet and leaning over she kissed his cheek and smiled. He winked back at her and grinned. "Go on, Bells. I'll see you at supper. I have some things to take care of before then."

Nodding she turned and followed a chattering Carmen upstairs.

**Translations **

_**El Patron **_**= The Boss**

_**¿si?**_** = Yes?**

_**¡Cabrón!**_** = Hard to translate, but think of this as "scamp" or something similar in the context that it's used here**

_**M'ija **_**= translates directly into "my daughter", in this case it's not literal, but used as a term of endearment**


	4. Chapter 4

Rosalie Hale was sick and tired of hearing about the "little beauty" that had arrived in town that afternoon. She was annoyed enough that she snapped at more than one potential customer and when one of her regulars told her to stop being so 'ornery she scowled and retreated to her room upstairs in the saloon.

No customers meant no money. No money meant working tomorrow despite the fact that it was her day off. Not that mattered anyway. She was supposed to have spent the whole day with Emmet, but now that his little lady had arrived she knew she was going to be kicked to the curb.

Sad thing was it was her own fault. More than once Emmet Swan had told her to give up her life in the saloon and move back to the Big E. She knew that he wanted to love her, marry her, have babies with her, but he was a dreamer and she was a realist. He was one of the richest men in the west and she, she was a whore.

The thing was Emmet never treated her like a whore. He escorted her places and did things with her like he would with any of the town's church going ladies. Usually _she_ was the one that ended up jumping his bones before the day was through. At first he had protested, but of course that hadn't lasted long. Then he started asking her to marry him. At first she thought he was joking, then when she realized he wasn't, she had kept telling him no.

She didn't want him or any future children to live with the repercussions of her past. When she'd told him that, he said he didn't care and they'd fought to the point where Sheriff Whitlock had been called in to cool things down. In the end Emmet had had to pay a hefty price for all the destruction to her room. Demetri and Felix, the saloon's owners, didn't take kindly to damage to their property, but as with most things, money made everything better.

After that night he had stopped asking.

It was a month later that he had told her that he'd sent for a mail order bride. She'd been hurt, of course, but she knew it was time for him to move on. The sad part was that he still visited her all the time and told her that he loved her.

Moving around her room she started to undress, getting ready for bed. Things were still swinging downstairs, but she knew she wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone tonight. Now that the future Mrs. Swan had arrived she knew he was going to give her up. Emmet wasn't the kind of man to hurt anyone, especially not someone he was tying himself to in marriage.

She'd just slipped out of her stockings when she heard a knock on the door. Grabbing a sheet from the bed she wrapped it around herself and asked through the door, "Who is it?"

After a moment, just when she was beginning to think that whoever it was that had knocked had left, she heard Emmet's voice. "Rosie? Rosie, it's me."

She was more than a bit surprised and opening the door she barely was able to get out, "Emmet, what the h…" Before she could finish he was in the room, his lips on hers as he kicked the door shut behind him. His hands pulled at the sheet and he was pushing her back to the bed.

Her hands were tugging at his clothes and as his tongue and mouth traveled along her skin he pushed her hands away, barely taking enough time to undo his belt, pull open his trousers and slid them past his hips before he pushed her back onto the bed and plunged into her with a deep groan. Her own cry filled the room.

Then they both went still as they both just enjoyed the feel of being joined together. For both of them, this was like coming home.

Looking down at her she could see the love he had for her in his eyes and taking his face between her hands, she kissed him softly. He kissed her back, staying still above her, and then both of them slowly started to deepen the kiss, tongues reaching out to taste each other even as he slowly started to move his hips, moaning as he felt himself sliding in her wet, hot core.

She whimpered a bit as her hips began to lift up off the bed, her body meeting his each time he thrust forward. He felt so good, better than anyone ever had or ever would. Each thrust was almost like a mini orgasm. As he started to move faster her cries grew louder as did his grunts and moans of pleasure till she arched up against him, crying out in release even as he spilled his own hot seed into her, groaning as he did.

They both lay there, trying to catch their breath. His hand moved to lazily cup one of her breasts and she chuckled bitterly and whispered, "So I take it little miss perfect doesn't do it for you?"

Emmet just looked at her in confusion. "What?"

Pushing him off of her she sighed and rubbed her inner-thighs, frowning at the abrasions there formed from his pants and belt rubbing against her skin. "Damnit Emmet. You know I hate being marked up!"

He looked even more confused now and apologized, "I'm sorry, Rosie."

Sighing she took her head. "Go home, Emmet." Crawling over him she went to the wash basin and started to clean up even as she heard the bed groan as he got up and started to straighten up his clothes.

Sighing he asked, "What did I do now, Rosie?" It was like he could never make her happy.

"It ain't something new you did, Emmet."

"What the hell does that mean?" He frowned.

Without looking at him, she continued, "Am I just supposed to keep spreading my legs for you forever? Or am I just supposed to do it till the wedding? Is the little lady frigid? Is that it?"

"Little lady? Who the fuck are you talking about, Rosalie?"

Now he was losing his temper, he never called her Rosalie.

"Oh save it, Emmet! I know all about your little girl arriving today. Do us both a favor and go home, bend her over the couch and fuck her silly instead of me. At least then you won't have to pay for it anymore."

Emmet knew that she was speaking from a place of anger, but he couldn't help the anger rising up inside him, especially since he knew who she was talking about and what she was suggesting he do to her.

Grabbing her he turned her to face him, shaking her a bit, causing her perfect features to contort in anger. "Let go of me you piece of shit!"

He frowned. "Now you listen to me, Rosalie Hale! You won't speak of her that way ever. Ever! You understand me?"

She pulled herself away from his grasp and hissed. "What? Can't stand the idea of slipping your cock into her waiting cunt?"

He grabbed her again, his fingers tightening around her upper arms so tightly that it would leave bruises and he hissed. "It's Bella. The girl that arrived here today is my sister Bella and I just came….I….I just…."

He'd wanted his Rosie to meet his Bella.

What the fuck had he been thinking?

Letting go of her he shook his head and without another word, he left.


	5. Chapter 5

Bella had noticed that Emmet was quiet at supper that night and when she'd asked him if something was wrong he'd smiled a bit and simply told her it was 'business'. She had nodded and kept quiet as she ate the delicious meal that Carmen had made for them.

Emmet just starred at his food and ate quietly. The mere fact that he wasn't shoveling his food into his mouth was enough to tell her that something was up. Finally, not able to take it anymore, she asked quietly, "Emmet, should I not have come?"

He looked up, startled and blinked, "What? What would make you say that?" Sighing he cleaned his mouth of with his napkin and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Bells. I just have a lot on my mind. I'm glad you're here. I would have sent for you either way." Reaching out, he squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to talk yet." He'd been a prick and hadn't even asked how their parents had died. He knew that Bella had probably been through a lot, handling their parents' death, making the arrangements to come out here. It made him feel a bit guilty that his sister had gone through so much and he was sitting there, sulking about Rosie.

"Tell me about what you've been up to." He smiled.

That had ended up being a pretty short conversation; after all, she hadn't been up to much. So the subject changed and eventually he had her laughing as he described some of the antics of some of the men who worked on the ranch. She was happy that he had made a good life here for himself, and though she couldn't shake the sinking feeling that something wasn't quite right, he seemed happy for the most part.

After the dishes had been cleared away he moved with her to the parlor and chuckled. "Third time I step foot in this room today. That's more times than I've been here in a year." He poured himself a drink and moved to sit down. Carmen had already lit the oil lamps in the room and had gone home for the day, her husband, Eleazar, Emmet's foreman, waiting for her there.

After just sitting in comfortable silence for while he quietly asked, "What happened to mom and dad, Bells?"

She knew that that question would come up eventually and sighing softly she whispered. "They caught some sort of fever. Everyone said I was lucky not to get sick, but I don't know. I don't feel very lucky," she said softly.

Emmet quietly set aside his drink and reaching out he took her hand. "Don't say that Bells. I need you."

Looking at him she felt the tears threatening to spill over again, "I don't want to be a burden, Emmet."

Emmet sighed and pulling her up he hugged her close on his lap. "You aren't, Bella…never."

Resting her head on his shoulder she cried. She really hadn't had much of a chance to cry since her parents had died. First, they'd been sick and she'd tried to take care of them. Then, after they'd died, she'd had to make arrangements for them, their estate, and her trip. But, now, now she felt she could cry as her brother rocked her a bit, tears in his own voice as he whispered, "We'll take care of each other now."

Eventually, she cried herself to sleep and he carried her upstairs to the room that Carmen had settled her in.

He was a bit lost about what to do then, not wanting to disturb her, but not wanting to leave her in her clothes either, and there was no way in hell he was going to undress her.

Running his hand over his face he considered going to call Carmen, but he hated doing that after she'd gone home to Eleazar. Finally, he decided it was best to wake her and he shook her lightly and whispered, "Bells, wake up. You need to get ready for bed."

Groggily she looked confused for a moment and nodding she sat up and started to yawn. She started to stumble around the room, trying to find the things she needed to go to bed and chuckling he left the room, leaving her to it.

After slipping out of her clothes, putting it away, putting on her nightgown and brushing out her hair she slipped under the covers and closed her eyes, falling into an exhausted sleep.

The next morning she woke up and was dressed and downstairs at what she considered an early hour, but when she walked into the kitchen Carmen smiled and told her than Emmet had headed out two hours earlier.

"Oh. I'm sorry I missed him," Bella replied as she sat down at the kitchen table.

Carmen smiled. "Oh, don't worry, _m'ija_. He said he would be back for lunch so he could go out and show you around this afternoon. Now do you want some breakfast?" She didn't wait for Bella to answer as she stoked the fire in the stove and started to cook. "Everyone is so excited to meet you. My Eleazar among them. Most of the _vaqueros_ are out right now with the herds, but you'll meet them when they come in after the round ups in a month or so. You should see them when they come in after being so long on the range! The look like…"

Bella half listened to what Carmen was saying as she looked around the large kitchen. It was obvious that this was the heart of the house, unlike the unused parlor. She made a few sounds, showing Carmen that she was still listening as she started to eat the hearty breakfast that was set in front of her.

She could be happy here. She was pretty sure of that. She and Emmet felt easy with each other and it didn't seem like six years had passed since they'd been together. Carmen was a sweet woman and from what she'd gathered from Emmet's stories at supper the night before and Carmen's ramblings, everyone at the Big E seemed to form this large family. She just hoped that she fit in all right.

When her meal was done she offered to help Carmen clean up, but the woman shooed her off saying that it was her job.

"Well, then I think I'll just go explore a bit," Bella replied.

Carmen nodded and smiled, "You do that, _m'ija_. Just stay close to the homestead. It's easy to get disoriented if you wander out of sight. I heard the first time that your brother came here he was getting lost left and right. Of course there was no homestead back then and no buildings, but still. I swear that man is like a child, but that's not such a bad thing. He has a good heart and everyone here knows it." Carmen rarely stopped for breath as she spoke and Bella took the rare pause in the woman's monologue to smile and wave as she stepped out the screen door leading to the back. "I'll be close by if Emmet comes looking for me."

Rushing down the steps to the back porch she smiled to herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Emmet was out at one of the holding pens located a mile away from the homestead. He had one foot propped up on one of the lower rungs of the fence the made up the pen as he leaned against one of the upper rungs, watching as the cattle that had been brought in walked about. They were new heads of cattle; mostly cows that he was hoping would produce some good heads of cattle with the steers that were already part of his herds.

Today the work was easy, it was simply a matter of herding them up and putting them in the pen after the drive they'd just been through. Tomorrow would be a totally different matter. It would be hard work branding the fifty new additions. Some people said it could wait a day or two, out here, one knew better. There were smaller ranchers who were honest men, but he was worried about the other big man in these here parts….Mallory. Damn that man's hide. He wouldn't put it past the bastard to steal some of the new animals, after all, he'd run into the problem before. Branding the cattle right away had to take top priority.

He watched as some of the cowpokes that had driven the cattle in made sure that everything was set for tomorrow's branding. There were the lassos, the wood for the fire, the pots of grease to smooth over the brands that was mixed with some bitter plant to keep the cows from licking at their wounds, then there were the brands themselves. He was proud of the symbol of who he was and what was his, a large E that extended the borders of a small circle.

Everyone knew that that brand meant. It not only marked his livestock, but it also was a symbol of quality. It was why he had done well for himself. Why had had the life he had dreamed of and had everything he could have ever wanted…almost.

At this thought his mind turned to Rosie again and he frowned and adjusted the way his cowboy hat was sitting on his head. He had been drawn in by her perfect beauty from the first time he set eyes on her and had sworn to himself that he would make her his. He knew he could have had her company for a couple of dollars, but he wanted more than that. He didn't just want her body, he wanted her heart.

She already had his and damn if that bitch didn't always trample all over it.

He just couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Why didn't she want him?

Scowling he pushed away from the fence and started to walk away from the holding pen. He needed to stop thinking about her and concentrate on other things. His baby sister had arrived and he was now responsible for her well being. Fuck if he knew what that meant, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to her. He also had to think about the lady that was on his way here to be his wife.

Sad thing was that he had no clue what he was going to do when she got here. He'd written and sent the advert for a bride in a haze of hurt and drunkenness after he realized that Rosie was probably never going to say yes to his proposal. Before he knew it he'd gotten three letters from three different gals. He'd thrown the first two letters out after reading them out of curiosity. The first was an older lady who simply stated that she was tired of her children and husband and wanted a new life. The second was from a woman who was trying to foist her daughter off on someone. He'd felt a bit of loathing at the fact that anyone could treat family that way. When the third letter arrived he figured it was going to be another desperate, sick soul.

He'd been surprised by the sweet, feisty personality that seemed to show through in the letter written in pretty, precise script.

_Dear Sir,_

_I saw your advertisement in a scrap of newspaper I was about to use to light a fire and it caught my attention. I hope that you will take the time to read my letter and consider me as a prospective bride._

_Now, I suppose that I should tell you a bit about myself. I'll start with a physical description. Men may pretend that they are interested in substance, and while I don't doubt that they are, they are attracted to the outer package before anything. I am 18 years old. I am petite measuring barely over five feet in length. I have long, dark brown hair, green eyes, and have been called pretty. I would have included a daguerreotype, but having one done tends to be expensive and since there is no guarantee that I will get any sort of return on such an investment I did not want to waste my hard earned money. Of course, if this does end up working out then I can say in advance that I would have happily spent the coin having known such information ahead of time._

_I currently work as a schoolmarm and have fifteen students of varying ages. While not all of them are the sharpest tools in the shed, I enjoy what I do. Unfortunately, the situation has become intolerable due to my sympathy towards the negro. I insist that we should educate them equally and this has caused me more than a bit of trouble._

_I suppose I am letting you know this because I am trouble. I do not change my way of thinking for anyone and if the politics mentioned above offend or disgust you, then I suppose I shall never hear from you again. If you have no issue with my politics or, dare I hope, feel the same way, then I believe that we shall get on well together._

_I do want a new life away from the constant trouble here, sir. I want to make a home for myself. I want children of my own. Hopefully love will be part of the picture as well, but only time will be able to tell. Though I am not privy to your station in life, please be assured that despite my small stature I am a hard worker and do not shirk from any work that I'm presented with._

_I hope to hear from you. If I don't I wish you all the best in finding what you are looking for._

_Sincerely,_

_Mary Alice Brandon _

_P.S. I prefer to be called Alice, but as this is a formal introduction I felt it appropriate to use my full name in closing. _

He decided that if he married anyone other than Rosie, it would be this girl. He was known in the area for hiring Mexicans, 'half-breeds,' and 'injuns' as the locals liked to call them, but he didn't judge these men by their background. They were hard, honest workers and that was all that mattered to him. He knew from her letter that Alice would fit right in at the Big E if just for that reason. Yet, he hadn't answered right away and after one of his infamous fights with Rosie he'd sent a letter back to Alice along with the train and coach tickets she would need to reach Spoons Valley.

She'd replied saying that she would come before winter, but she wanted to settle things at home first. Now, she was probably on her way and there was no way to stop her for coming. Though he wanted Rosie, he would do the honorable thing and marry this girl who had traveled so far just to be with him.


	7. Chapter 7

Bella wandered around the homestead, just peeking into the outer buildings when she came across them. She'd seen the smokehouse and chicken coop. She was pretty sure that a small house located not far off from the main house was Carmen's residence since she'd said that her house was close by. There was another medium size building with windows and when she'd peeked inside she'd seen a bunch of beds lined up against both walls. She figured that's where some of her brother's workers lived, but it didn't seem to be used very much.

When she saw all the sharp and dangerous looking tools inside one shed she decided that that wasn't the best place for her. Knowing her luck she would have a clumsy moment and end up hurting or even killing herself.

The final building she left for exploration was the second largest building next to the main house, the barn. It was not like the paintings she'd seen in magazines or picture books and she decided that she would ask Emmet why he hadn't bothered to paint it. She'd expected it to be red with white trim.

It was nice though. It was neatly kept and there was a fence surrounding the front end that housed some of the smaller livestock including a couple of goats and some geese. She could hear the sound of other animals coming from within and curiosity took the better of her. Moving to the gate, she tried to figure out the latch to it, but just couldn't and after a few attempts at pulling at the black metal, she gave up.

Looking down at herself she chewed on her lower lip as she took in her long reddish brown skirt, white blouse, and extended her foot out so her dainty brown leather boots peeked from beneath the hem. It was the most comfortable outfit she owned, and while it had been suitable for sitting in parlors back in Chicago, she knew it wasn't suitable for climbing fences.

She was about give up her exploration of the recesses of the barn when she looked towards the barn entrance and saw a tiny kitten peek around the corner. It looked at her, mewled, and disappeared into the shadowed barn again. Now she was dead set on getting in there. She'd always wanted a kitten.

Hiking up her skirts, revealing her pristine white petticoats and pantaloons, trimmed in lace, and her brown stockings, she started to climb. As she reached the top and straddled the gate, one leg perched on each side, she felt a sense of triumph. She hadn't fallen!

Grinning brightly she swung the leg still perched on the outside of the gate over and tried to find her footing, but as she did it connected with the latch of the gate. She might not have been able to figure out how to open it when she was trying, but her foot was successful on first contact.

As the latch unlocked the heavy gate, swung open quickly, helped along by the extra weight she added to it. Her shrill cry pierced the air as she clung to the gate for dear life, but as it swung open and then started to swing back just as quickly under her weight she lost her footing and started to fall.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. She was falling and as she tried to clutch at the gate her silk blouse got caught on a loose nail. A horrendous rip filled the air and she landed backwards on the ground with a loud, "Oof!" As she lay there stunned, she found one of the goats had come up and was sniffing at her hair which had fallen out of its loose bun.

She was staring up at the sky squinting against the bright sun, assessing whether she'd hurt herself or not, when the sun was suddenly blocked out by the silhouette of a man in a cowboy hat. The strong, soft voice laced with concern made her catch her breath.

"Are you all right, miss?"

She blinked and just lay there, stunned, though she wasn't sure if it was because of her fall or her reaction to this man's voice. Either way she could only lie there, trying to see who this man was, but the sun shining brightly behind him like a damn halo prevented her from seeing him clearly. The man shooed the goat off and squatting down next to her had asked with more concern. "Ma'am? Ma'am…?" There was a bit of urgency in his voice now and she closed her eyes and managed to groan out, "I'm…I'm all right. I think…"

The man chuckled at the 'I think' part and he reached under her to help her up into a sitting position, his arm wrapping around her in support. "Easy does it," he said as he kept her there, her body cradled against his chest and she finally had the presence of mind to look at him. Now she was breathless again.

He had to be the most handsome man she had ever seen. Gorgeous features including startling green eyes, a strong, and chiseled jaw line covered in stubble that just made him seem more rugged and handsome. "Did you hurt yourself?" he asked, but she didn't answer and could only stare. Arching a brow he gave her a crooked smile.

She blushed brightly in return and gave him a shy smile back, but she still couldn't find the words to say anything. Perhaps the fall had knocked her dumb. Leaning in the handsome stranger whispered in her ear, "I'll carry you inside, ma'am, but you should, uh, perhaps cover up a bit? I'm enjoying the view and all, but…"

At first she had been so mesmerized by the feeling of his warm breath against her ear and neck that she hadn't processed what he was saying. Then she looked down at herself and realized the front of her blouse was completely torn open revealing her camisole and corset. Gasping she sat straight up, no longer leaning against his arm for support and she fumbled with the torn pieces of her blouse, trying to hold it together.

She heard the man next to her chuckling even as he stood up, lifted his cowboy hat, and ran his hand through his thick, messy hair. She was sure she was blushing five shades of crimson. She couldn't even look at him.

Under her breath she whispered, "This is the most mortifying moment of my life," and shyly glanced up at him.

The man chuckled again, giving her a lopsided smiled, and without a word he untucked his shirt from his trousers and proceeded to unbutton it. Now she sat there, mouth agape, as he pulled it off revealing a lean, muscled torso. She'd seen statues in museums her parents had taken her to, but this…this was true perfection and she felt a feeling the made her feel like jelly as she gazed as his bare skin.

"It could be cleaner," he said, "but, it'll just be for a while till we get you inside the house." Without a word he tucked the shirt around her before his arms slipped under the crook of her knees and her back as he lifted her off the ground. The movement sent her eyes flying to his again and this time it was his turned to be stunned as he looked into the deepest, most beautiful wide brown eyes he'd ever seen.

It didn't take him as long to find his voice though and as he cradled her a bit closer and he whispered hoarsely, "I'm Edward. Edward Masen."


	8. Chapter 8

He was certain that he was standing there like a dumb fool holding this beautiful girl in his arms for a while after he introduced himself, but honestly, he could have stayed there for an eternity. She was beautiful, warm, and she smelled, well, sweet. He could hold her forever.

Eventually she broke the spell she seemed to have on him though when she whispered softly, "I'm Bella Swan."

Swan. She had to be related to Emmet then. Damn it all to hell. He wondered when the lucky bastard had managed to snag himself a wife. He knew that Emmet had been involved with Rosie down at the saloon. Or, at least he had been before he'd gone off with some of the other hands to move a herd that Emmet had brought back to the Big E. That was over two months ago. Out here on the range that could equal centuries when it came to certain things, including love. Hell, he was already head over heels for the beauty in his arms and he'd only been around her a few seconds.

Damn Emmet.

Managing a bit of a strained smile he nodded and replied, "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Swan."

She noticed the change in his attitude and her brow drew together in worry. "Um…it's Miss, and please, call me Bella."

He arched a brow as he shifted her a bit in his arms. She was light as a feather, but he wanted to make sure she was comfortable. "You related to Em then?"

She smiled softly and nodded. "I'm his sister."

Edward's eyebrows shot up in surprise and his grin slowly returned. "I see." He chuckled and moved to leave the holding area where they were standing. As he moved her arms went around his neck and she continued to watch him. He used his foot to close the gate, the latch slipping into place automatically and he asked. "May I ask what you were doing climbing the gate instead of walking through it, Bella?"

She turned red and muttered. "I couldn't figure out the latch."

Snickering he nodded. "It's one that Garrett, our local blacksmith, designed. It's got a trick to it. I'll teach you sometime. Was there something you needed from the barn?"

She blushed and looked away, muttering, "I, um, saw this kitten you see…" Now, saying what her motive was out loud, she felt completely foolish.

He chuckled again. "Probably from one of the tabby's most recent litters. Excellent mousers."

He continued walking with her towards the back of the house and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she was perfectly capable of walking, but she didn't want him to put her down, not yet anyway.

As he got closer to the house she asked, "Do you work here, Mr. Masen?" She groaned inwardly, realizing that that answer to that questions was perfectly obvious.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Been here with Em from when he first came into Spoons Valley. Just got in from driving in some new heads of cattle this morning. How long you been in these parts?"

She looked around. "I arrived yesterday afternoon."

"Well, hell!" He frowned. "Pardon me, Miss Bella, but what is that brother of yours thinking leaving you alone when you've just gotten here?"

She smiled. "I understand that my brother is busy, Mr. Masen. Besides, he told Carmen he would be here for lunch and then he would show me around."

"Please, call me Edward. And, I wouldn't doubt that. I've never known Emmet to miss out on a meal."

They both laughed together as he climbed the steps leading to the back porch. That's when they heard Carmen.

"_¡Ay! ¡Dios mio! ¡¿Que te paso, niña?" _To Bella, it was obvious that Carmen was in distress over her appearance and the fact that Edward was carrying her in, but as the older lady continued to ramble on in Spanish, she really had no clue what was being said.

"_Calmate, Carmen. Nomas se cayó la señorita. Yo creo que esta bien_," Edward replied, interrupting Carmen's ramblings. She didn't think it was possible, but the man sounded even sexier speaking in Spanish. Turning to her he switched to English. "You are all right, aren't you? You're not hurt?" He cursed himself realizing that although he had asked her that same question before, he hadn't bothered to get an answer.

"Oh, I'm fine. My pride has taken a bit of a beating though."

Edward chuckled at her response while Carmen continued to flutter around her like a nervous bird. "Take her to the parlor, _Eduardo_. I'll go turn down her bed and you can carry her upstairs and then go fetch _Doctor_ Cullen."

"Oh, Carmen!" Bella responded, blushing again. "I'm fine, really, that's not necessary!"

But, Carmen didn't seem to be listening and was already rushing out of the kitchen. Seeing Bella's distress at Carmen's actions, Edward could only snicker. "It's not funny!" she insisted, but as they heard Carmen moving about upstairs, calling out to God, or _Dios_, she couldn't help but join in his laughter.

The laughter died down though as their eyes met again and she felt a tingling sensation radiate through her. He felt the same thing…along with a tightening in his pants.

Before she realized what she was doing, she leaned towards him, her face mere inches from her own, so close in fact that their breaths started to mingle. Just as she thought he was going to lean in and press his lips to her own he pulled back and she felt herself start to tumble out of his arms as he instinctively tried to drop her like a hot iron.

"Shit!" he cried out as his arms tightened around her again, trying to keep her from falling completely to the floor, but, by that time, she'd tighten her own arms around his neck in a vice-grip. This threw them both completely off balance since her legs had already slipped out from his hold and they were both tumbling to the floor in a pile of tangled legs and flipped up petticoats.

In the process of falling his shirt had fallen to the wayside and so when Emmet came in and saw a half naked Edward half lying on his sister —who's blouse was torn open— he saw red as he bellowed out, "What the fuck is going on here!"

**A/N:**

**Translations:**

"_¡Ay! ¡Dios mio! ¡¿Que te paso, niña?" = _"Oh! Oh my God! What happened to you, child?"

"_Calmate, Carmen. Nomas se cayó la señorita. Yo creo que esta bien_," = "Calm down, Carmen. The young lady just fell down. I think that she's all right."


	9. Chapter 9

"GET THE HELL OFF MY SISTER!"

Even as the words left Emmett's mouth he was yanking Edward off of Bella. Considering that Edward wasn't exactly a small man it took him off guard to be yanked right off his feet. One moment he was on the ground with Bella under him and then next he was flying through the air. Unfortunately, the unexpected action along with the fact that he'd been tangled up with Bella caused his belt buckle to catch on the hem of Bella's petticoat and the delicate lace and cotton gave with a loud rip.

Even as Edward hit the wall near the back entrance sending a nearby pie cabinet shaking, Emmett was on him again, bellowing and pounding on him. "THAT'S MY SISTER, YOU FUCKER!"

Bella had lay there stunned for a moment before she processed what was going on and by then Edward was trying to dodge Emmett's fists, which had already punched several holes in the wall behind Edward's head.

Now her own cries joined her brother's angry bellows, "Emmett! Emmett! STOP!" and, she was very unsuccessfully trying to pull her brother off of Edward, who wasn't even trying to fight back just get the hell out of the way. As she heard a few of Emmett's punches land with meaty thumps, she tried to grab onto him, but she might as well have been a fly with the good it did. Even as she clung to Emmet's arm and was being swung about as he continued to try to land punches she thought she was going to be sick from being tossed about so much.

Hearing the commotion Carmen ran downstairs, screaming, "_¡Dios mio! ¡¿Que 'sta pasando!" _Then she came into the scene of Edward trying to find his way to the door and Emmet trying to beat him down. Bella, now with a torn blouse and a petticoat hanging haphazardly beyond the hem of her skirt, was holding on to Emmett and swinging about like a cowboy clinging to a bucking bronco. Carmen was stunned for a moment before her own shrill cries joined in with Emmett's bellows, Bella's pleas, and Edward's imploring Emmet to stop and listen. "_¡Ay! ¡Ay! ¡Lo vas a matar! ¡Basta! ¡Basta, niños! ¡Ay Dios mio de mi vida!¡Ay!_" Even as she continued screaming in Spanish, imploring them to stop and saying the Emmett was going to kill Edward she was trying to figure out how to reach the back door and run for Eleazar or someone that could help. But, considering the fact that they were blocking the back door and that Edward would probably be dead if she tried to go all the way around the house, she looked around for something that could help her.

Reaching out she grabbed the large basin of dirty water that she used to rinse the breakfast dishes and with a loud splash the three figures in front of her were doused from head to toe. While this wouldn't usually have stopped Emmett in the pursuit of defending his sister's honor, it did distract him long enough to Edward to get one good gut punch in quickly followed by a kick that meant Emmett wouldn't be visiting Rosie for social relations any time soon. He felt bad doing it, but it was either that or let Emmett continue to beat him and he was already in a world of hurt.

Coughing Emmett doubled over a groaned, cupping his groin with both hands.

All of them, with the exception of Emmett, stood there stunned, and it took the sound of the tin basin slipping out of Carmen's hands onto the word floor to bring them out of it.

Now everyone's voices were filling the air again, speaking at the same time so it was hard to decipher who was saying what.

"Bear! Bear, are you all right!" "Em, it wasn't what it looked like I swear!" "_¡Ay, Patron! ¡Te pegaron en los meros huevos!_"

Coughing a bit and moaning again, Emmet managed to shuffle over to the kitchen table and he sat down with a groan, pressing his forehead against the table's surface as he closed his eyes.

Bella was the first to talk and going up to him she whispered, "Bear, it wasn't what you think. I…I fell off the gate, tore my shirt, and Edward gave me his to cover up with and carried me back here…"

If any other girl had told that story, he might not have believed them, but Emmett was well aware of his sister's clumsy nature. He just wished he'd taken that into consideration before he attacked and gotten his balls hurt in the process.

He just nodded a bit in response, not lifting his head off the table. He could feel Bella patting his back in comfort. Finally turning his head to the side, he looked over at a beaten, bloodied Edward whose attention seemed intent on something else. Following Edward's gaze he saw that now not only were his baby sister's underthings exposed, but with the good dousing she'd gotten in Carmen's attempt to stop the fight there was really nothing left to the imagination.

Considering where his sister was standing in proximity to him as she continued to pat his back and the fact that Edward was staring at her breasts like he was a starving man looking at a feast, he felt himself blushing brighter than a ripe apple.

Still in pain he managed to croak out, "I said that's my sister, fucker!"

Edward's gaze snapped away and he also started to turn crimson. Bella was saved embarrassment as Carmen grabbed Edward's discarded shirt off the floor and placed it around Bella's shoulders, effectively covering her up. "Come, _m'ija_. Let's get you cleaned up and leave these _sinverguensos_ to talk."

Holding the shirt tightly around her, Bella let herself be led out of the room. She did look over her shoulder at her brother, hoping he was all right, but her final gaze was left to Edward as she smiled sadly at him and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

Translations for this chapter:

"_¡Dios mio! ¡¿Que 'sta pasando!" _= "My God! What's going on!"

"_¡Ay! ¡Ay! ¡Lo vas a matar! ¡Basta! ¡Basta, niños! ¡Ay Dios mio de mi vida!¡Ay!_" = "Oh! Oh! You're going to kill him! Stop! Stop, boys! Oh, dear lord in heaven! Oh!"

"_¡Ay, Patron! ¡Te pegaron en los meros huevos!_" = "Oh, Boss! They hit your right in the balls!"


	10. Chapter 10

Jasper was tired. It wasn't like there was ever much trouble in Spoons Valley other than the occasional brawl. Sure there was cow rustling going on, but usually the ranchers took care of their own business and didn't call in the law since nothing serious ever happened. He liked it that way. He read the papers from other western towns and was glad he didn't have to deal with the lowlifes that the "Wild West" usually seemed to attract. Sure, his town had lowlifes, he only had to look at the Bar None Ranch to see that. He knew that Mr. Mallory, the ranch owner, was a crooked fellow, but for the most part he kept his seedy cowpokes like James in line and as long as they weren't bothering town folk, well, he wasn't going to go stirring up trouble.

Lying in his bed he turned he tossed aside his paper, not really worrying about the reports from nearby of some towns terrorized by masked bandits, robbing banks, stealing large amounts of supplies from general stores, that sort of thing. He didn't think the trouble would reach Spoons Valley, but he was sure he was going to hear from Aro Volturi and his brothers Caius and Marcus about it anyway. Aro was the mayor and owner of the only coach line that came into town, Caius the bank owner, and Marcus, well, he was a mystery. He was a lawyer, but there wasn't much need for lawyering in these here parts so he made his living helping his brothers with their businesses. Rumor was that he was working behind the scenes to bring the railroad into town. Jasper knew that would be good business for the people here, but at the same time he hoped it didn't happen. He knew that railroads usually brought in people, and with more people came trouble.

Reaching for his pocket watch that was on the nearby bedside table, he flipped it open and noticed the time. Usually he didn't start making his rounds around town till after noon. Ben Cheney, his deputy, usually took care of things in the morning with their part-time deputy, Eric, and then they'd work together in the afternoon before Ben went home to his wife, Angela, in the evenings. It was a good arrangement for all of them especially now since Ben and Angie were expecting their first born any day now.

He chuckled as he got up to slip on his boots and wondered what the kid would look like. There was no doubt that Ben and Angie loved each other, but they made an odd pairing, at least physically. Ben was a whole head shorter than his tall, slender wife, but one got past the major height difference when they saw how much the pair loved each other.

After pulling his trousers down over his boots, he stood up and put on his overcoat and then went to the mirror to pin the brass star on his lapel. He still felt pride every time he put it on, but he knew it was his attitude and behavior that commanded respect not just some ornament on his jacket. Slipping on his cowboy hat as he left the room he made his way to the jail.

He passed a couple of the town's matrons along the way tipping his hat at them in greeting, and though the old women usually blushed like school girls whenever he greeted them, this time they were too busy twittering with each other to even notice and he wondered what had gotten them so riled up. As he turned the corner and saw a few men and women loitering outside the jail he knew something was definitely up and he wondered why Ben hadn't come to fetch him.

Making his way into the jail he closed the door behind him and saw Eric sitting there with a split lip, looking somewhat terrified towards the door passage that led to the two holding cells in the back.

"What's with you?" Jasper asked as he hung his hat on a nearby peg. "Where's Ben?"

Eric was green, new to being a deputy, but him and Ben had brought him on board knowing that they needed a bit more help. Eric glanced at him with wide, terrified eyes and Jasper couldn't help but laugh. "What? You got a tiger locked up back there or something?"

Eric shook his head quickly and then he was speaking a mile a minute. "Well, you see, Ben rushed on home because Angie was having her pains and he left me in charge figuring nothing was going to happen. Then the coach came in and there was this ruckus shortly after one of the passengers got off and the whole town was standing there! I didn't know what to do so I just brought them on in."

"Who'd you bring in? On what charges?" Jasper asked as he made his way towards the back to peer into the cells, expecting nothing less than a huge, hardened criminal from the way Eric was acting. But, as he turned the corner he stopped short in surprise.

At first he thought it was a child sitting there from how tiny she was, but the curves of her body gave her away, showing that she was a young woman. She was sitting there all prim and proper like, hands folded neatly on her lap, lost in the billows of her blue and white gingham dress trimmed with red ribbons. The image of the perfect little lady was a bit off when one noticed the streak of dirt across her nose and the way her blue and white bonnet trimmed with more red ribbon and little red fabric flowers was sitting askew on her head.

When her eyes lifted off her hands on her lap and met his he was pretty darn sure that his heart stopped beating for a moment before it started thumping like a jackrabbit in heat. Her eyes widened ever so slightly and stayed on his a moment before they drifted to his sheriff's pin on his lapel then she started to wail.


	11. Chapter 11

At the young lady's cries Jasper turned a horrified gaze to Eric and managed to get out, "Jesus Christ, Eric! What'd you go and lock up a little defenseless lady for!"

Eric just sat there behind the desk with his mouth open, obviously stunned, as Jasper strode forward, grabbed the keys and went to unlock the cell. As he fumbled with the lock, jarred by the young lady's wails, he said, "Don't worry, ma'am, we'll get this straightened out." She continued to cry though and as he made his way into the cell towards her he tried to lighten the mood by saying, "It ain't as if you beat anyone up or anything." But, he knew that was a mistake when she started to cry even louder, her sobs reverberating off the cell walls.

Feeling rather helpless and not knowing what to do he sat next to her and started to awkwardly pat her head, causing her bonnet to sit at an even more awkward angle on her head. "There, there now. Er, it'll be all right?" The last part came out as more of a question than a statement since he wasn't quite sure that it _would _be all right, considering the way she was going on like someone had died. _What in the hell had Eric done to her!_ he wondered. He'd shoot the bastard and ask questions later if she kept this up.

Looking down he noticed that she was wringing a little blue handkerchief with little red flowers embroidered on it between the dainty hands that were still resting on her lap. He hadn't noticed this nervous gesture before since her hands were half hidden by the skirt of her dress.

"I…I just wanted to make a good impression!" she keened.

"Um, all right. You've made a good impression on _me_ so far. You sure look pretty." He groaned inwardly and almost palmed his face as soon as the words left his mouth. "I mean, I like your dress!" No, that wasn't right either. "The flowers on your hat are like the ones on your hankie!" _All right, so right now would be a good time for me to go turn in my badge and ask Eric to shoot my sorry ass_, he thought.

But, then the most wonderful thing happened and the girl sitting next to him giggled. That sound made it all better. Glancing over at her he saw her smiling through her tears.

"Thank you." She let go of the handkerchief with one hand and reached up to touch her bonnet only to discover it was out of place. Blushing she reached up with both hands to fix it. Neither of them noticed as her hankie fell to the floor.

"Now, ma'am, could you tell me exactly what happened?" he asked softly.

At that moment he heard the scraping of a chair against the wooden floor and the sound of boots running across it as Eric came rushing into the passage in front of the cell. "Well, you see, Jasper…"

Jasper turned a murderous glare on Eric and said in a low dangerous tone, "I didn't ask you, Deputy Yorkie. I asked the lady. Now go sit your ass down and I'll get to you in a second."

Eric turned pale and rushed out again, stammering, "Yes, sheriff."

"Sorry about that, ma'am. Go on now."

The girl sniffled a bit as she retied the red ribbon under her chin in a pretty bow. "Well, you see, sheriff…" Before she could go on, he interrupted her.

"Jasper."

She looked at him in confusion. "Pardon?"

"Uh, you can call me Jasper, ma'am."

"Oh, thank you, Jasper. I'm Alice." She went into her story without missing a beat. "Well, you see, I've been on this stage coach for the last couple of days with these two horrible ladies. I know it's not kindly to speak about anyone like that, but that's God truth. Sometimes I felt like throwing myself clear off the coach just to get away from those two and I might have, but I didn't want to ruin any of my pretty new dresses. Most of the time I just pretended to sleep or just ignored their ignorant comments, but when we got here I saw them mistreating a young Indian boy and I just couldn't take it anymore. Next thing you know I was beating down on the younger one after she hit the boy. I just can't stand any of God's children being treated like that. You'd think I was murdering her by the way she and her momma were shrieking, but I swear that I only slapped her around just a bit. Before I knew it, your man — I believe you said his name was Deputy Yorkie? — was pulling me off of her, but not knowing he was with the law in these parts I started swinging thinking it was just some man grabbing me. It shames me to say I got in a few punches and hurt him. It wasn't long before he was slinging me over his shoulder and throwing me into this here cell. Course, at the time I didn't know where he was taking me so I fought with all my might along the way. I think I might have gotten a few bites in and I'm perfectly certain that I did some damage to his…nether regions."

Jasper just sat there stunned.

First, he couldn't believe this tiny little thing was capable of "beating down" on anyone, even if it was by her own admission, and going by what she was saying she was the one that had caused Eric's split lip. Furthermore, if what she was saying was true — and he had no reason to doubt her — she'd done a lot more to him than that. No wonder Eric was terrified. Second, he was livid that anyone had mistreated this young lady in any way.

"What do you mean he threw you in here?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

Before she could answer there was the sound of a chair falling to the floor and he heard Eric call out in a high-pitched, panicked voice, "Time for me to head out, sheriff! My momma's expecting me home for lunch!" This was quickly followed by the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut.

Alice stifled a giggle by bringing her hand up to her mouth and pretending to cough. "Well, I think he was just anxious to get me out of his hands before I hurt him more, Jasper."

"So, you're all right then?" he asked with concern.

"Well, that really depends on you," she smiled.

"On me?" he asked.

"Well, yes. If I'm under arrest I'm afraid it would really ruin my day even further."

He chuckled and shook his head. "You're not under arrest. I'm sure Deputy Yorkie will be too scared of you to press charges and I can smooth things over with the ladies you mentioned. What were there names anyway?"

"Mallory. They never told me their first names. Insisted that I call them Miss. and Mrs. if I wanted to address them," she said huffily.

He smiled at her expression and sighed a bit as he shook his head. Of all the families this girl had to go and tangle with it had to be that one.

"I'll find a way to smooth things out, Miss Alice. Don't you worry," he said reassuringly.

She giggled and placed her hand lightly on his arm. "Oh, just Alice please, only my students ever called me Miss Alice."

He nodded and grinned at her like a fool, her hand on him sending a thrill right through to his very core. "Well, Alice, I'm sure you're hungry after your long journey. How about I go and fetch us some grub and we can eat here at the desk out front?" He knew the people of this town and he knew more than a few of them were going to go hard on this poor girl for what she'd done. He also wanted to protect her from all the stares and whispers. But, most of all, he just had this urge to spend time with her…alone.

"I'd like that very much, Jasper. May I ask a favor of you though? I don't know what happened to my luggage after they brought me here and I am very concerned about it. Could you please find out what happened to it for me?"

"Certainly, Alice." He stood up and motioned for her to go through the open door to the cell first before he followed her out.

It certainly looked like Eric had left in a hurry. The chair he'd been sitting in was overturned and there was papers scattered on the floor. Shaking his head he put the chair upright and picked up the papers, leaving them in a messy pile. He'd clean up later.

"Make yourself at home, well, as much as you can in a jailhouse. I'll be back soon."

Grinning, she nodded at him. "I'll be here waiting, Jasper."

Grabbing his hat he tipped it at her and winked before he headed out.

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Sorry for posting chapter 9 twice! I corrected it and chapter 10 is now up correctly!**

**Thank you for all the reviews.**


	12. Chapter 12

Alice sat quietly as she watched Jasper leave. The day had been full of ups and downs. She was not in the least bit happy with her behavior, not because it was wrong - she knew she was right - she was more upset that she'd gotten caught and ended up being hauled off to jail. When she'd realize where she'd ended up after Deputy Yorkie had thrown her into a cell like she was a hive full of hornets, she had been scared out of her mind at first and then sat on the cot located in the cell, trying to figure out how she was going to get out of this.

She was pretty certain that she could eventually convince Deputy Yorkie to let her out, but just as she was finalizing her plan a new figure had come in. Judging by the man's voice when she first heard him she could tell he wasn't going to be a softy like the deputy; then, when he had walked into her line of sight, well, that man just took her breath away. She didn't know how long she sat there, just staring at him when the light glinted off his badge and her eyes wandered in that direction. That was when she burst into tears, crying like a banshee.

If you asked her why she had started crying, she would probably say that just seeing the sheriff made her realize just how much trouble she was in, but truth of the matter was the thing that had really set her off was that the badge made her realize that he wasn't Emmett Swan. At the moment her eyes met his she had lost her heart. But, she'd come here to marry Emmett and that was what she would do, so she pushed those thoughts from her mind. It wasn't like _she_ could ever marry a lawman anyway.

So, she locked up the attraction she felt towards Jasper away in the corner of her heart where she locked up all the secrets that she could never share. One thing she'd learned over the years was that life wasn't fair, but one had to learn to deal with the hand that God had dealt them.

Standing up, she slipped off her bonnet and placed it on the edge of the desk as she smoothed back her hair. Looking around the jailhouse she wrinkled her nose a bit. This wasn't exactly her ideal place to be. Standing up she walked around the room, looking at the wanted posters on the wall before she walked over to the desk and started to straighten up the papers that Eric had dropped and Jasper had tossed back on the table. As she was arranging them into a neat pile she noticed one sticking out and frowned as she took in what was printed there. Just then she heard footsteps on the sidewalk outside the jailhouse and she stuffed the paper into her pocket and continued to straighten up the rest of them.

Jasper came in carrying a basket covered with a piece of cloth and smiled as he saw she was straightening up. "Hope you're hungry, Alice." As he said it he cleared the papers she'd been tidying up off the desk and stuck them on a nearby shelf. "I'll go through those later." He put the basket down and started to unpack it.

Alice's eyes widened a bit as he pulled out several tins of food and then a large plate wrapped up in a large square cloth followed by another medium sized plate wrapped in another cloth. He opened the tins to reveal green beans, mashed taters, beans, and corn. When he opened the cloths holding the plates he revealed a whole bunch of fried chicken and half of a pie. There were also a couple of biscuits wrapped in a napkin and two jars of sweet tea.

Jasper looked at her, grinning happily and she couldn't help but smile back. "Exactly how many people are joining us for lunch, Jasper?" Laughing he turned and hung his hat up and removed his coat, placing both on pegs that were hanging by the door.

"Just so happens that the boy who you defended was Seth, Sue Clearwater's son. She's the cook over at the local hotel. When I first walked into her kitchen she was about to beat me with a rolling pin for having you locked up in here till I explained to her who I was fetching the food for." He laughed.

Alice smiled. "Well, that's very sweet of her, but…did she really think I would eat all this?"

He laughed loudly again. "No, but she knew that I'd be sharing with you and that woman swears I have a hollow leg. Sit. Eat. I promised her I'd feed you and help you out in whatever way I can."

Smiling she sat down and right as he was about to bite off half a drumstick, she folded her hands on the table and bowed her head in prayer.

"Thank you Lord, our God, for the food you have seen fit to provide for us. May it nourish our bodies just as your nourish our souls. Amen."

Jasper had frozen for a moment as she had started to pray then he quickly set the drumstick back down and bowed his head. "Amen," he added and he reached for a drumstick again.

Alice smiled at him and started to serve up a heaping plate of food as he inhaled the piece of chicken, munching away. Chuckling, she asked, "Hungry, Jasper?"

He laughed and nodded as he chewed his food. When he finished his bite he added, "Sorry. I skipped breakfast and Sue makes the best fried chicken in west of the Blue Ridge." He was about to start serving himself when Alice set the heaping plate she'd been serving up in front of him. He blushed at realizing she'd been serving him and watched as she started to serve herself. The simple gesture made his heart melt.

"I had a stale biscuit for breakfast that I saved from our last stop. This looks much more appetizing," she said.

Remembering his manners he waited till she had finished serving herself before he started eating again. "You should have a hearty meal then. You must of used up a lot of energy this morning from what I heard." He chuckled and she giggled a bit in response and started to eat.

"Oh," he said after his next bite. "I should tell you that your trunks are safe and sound. Seth carried them over to the hotel himself and there safe there."

She bounced happily in her seat. "Oh! Thank goodness! I was so afraid that something had happened to them."

He laughed at her reaction. "I don't blame you for being worried. From what I heard while I was fetching lunch, half the ladies in town were more interested in talking about your dress and bonnet than your little skirmish with the Mallorys."

"That's good. I think. I mean if they liked it. I made it myself."

He arched a brow at that. "Did you? They were saying that you probably got it in New York or some other big city from some famous dressmaker."

She giggled and blushed in response and started to eat with more gusto. They continued to talk over their meal about various things, from how long Jasper had been a sheriff and how much he loved his job to her job as a schoolmarm and how she loved her job as well. Halfway through the meal she quickly lost her appetite as she heard Jasper's next question.

"What brings you to Spoons Valley, Alice?"

She dabbed her lips with one her napkin and looked at her plate she answered, "Well, I'm here to marry Mr. Emmett Swan."

Jasper had lost his appetite right after Alice had answered his question, too.

The conversation had definitely become strained after that and after asking if he was done she started to pack up the remnants of their meal, insisting that he should take it home to finish off for supper. After that, they had made their way to the hotel and he'd left her with a gushing Sue as he went off to borrow a wagon from Garrett again to transport Alice over to the Big E.

For the most part they were silent on the trip. He couldn't believe his luck. This girl was perfection and she was here to marry one of his best pals. He felt like shit for hoping that Emmett wouldn't go through with it. His friend deserved to be happy.

But, damnit, didn't he deserve to be happy, too?

Every now and then he would glance at Alice as she rode alongside him at the front end of the wagon. She looked lost in thought. Had she caught onto his feelings? Would she tell Emmett? In a way she hoped she would, then, maybe his pal would back down. There he was, being selfish again, and from he could tell the pretty lady sitting next to him was the most selfless person he'd ever met. She was a lady, through and through; she even said grace before they ate for Pete's sake.

As he saw the homestead in the distance he brought her out of her thoughts by saying, "There's the Big E homestead up ahead."

She looked up at the buildings in the distance, but didn't seem very interested and she continued to sit there in silence. After a few moments, she surprised him by leaning over, giving him a kiss on the cheek, and whispering, "Thank you for everything, Jasper."

He looked at her and gave her a soft smile and whispered back, "It was truly my pleasure, Alice." Their eyes locked for a moment before they both looked away and lapsed back into silence as they got closer to the main house.

As they pulled into the front of the house they both noticed two figures sitting on the front porch. When the wagon stopped one of the figures got up and Jasper noticed Emmett stumbling a bit before he almost tripped down the front steps. Behind him, Edward snickered and slurred, "Yooou look like yer sipter….kister…shishter!"

This sent both men into peels of laughter and Emmett was now hanging onto the side of the wagon, though it wasn't clear if he was doubled over in laughter or if he was about to throw up. Alice thought it was probably both.

To say that Jasper looked upset was an understatement. "Wait here," he said to Alice and shaking his head he climbed down and without bothering to greet either Edward or Emmett who were still laughing like the drunkards they were, he made his way inside, calling for Carmen.

Alice looked from one drunken man to the other and wondered which one was her fiancé. Sighing and shaking her head she climbed down from the wagon and asked. "Which one of you is Emmet Swan?"

Emmet straightened up and puffed out his large chest. "I'm Emmeth!"

Alice's eyes widened as she tilted her head back to look at him. She hadn't realized how big he actually was while he'd been stumbling down the stairs and leaning against the wagon. "Oh…my," she whispered in awe, but she quickly shook it off and cleared her throat, saying more clearly. "I'm Alice. Alice Brandon."

Emmett looked confused for a second as he swayed on his feet in front of her and then his eyes widened. "You're Alish!" He looked to Edward who was now standing against the railing to the porch, looking in real danger of toppling over the side. "It's Alish!"

Edward giggled. "That's not Alec. He's a ten year old boy. Though they are the shame size."

Alice almost smiled at the silliness of it all.

At that moment an older, Spanish looking lady came out with Jasper and glaring at Edward and Emmett she made her way to Alice all while muttering, "_¡Sinvergüenzas borachos!_" Going up to Alice the woman sighed. "I'm sorry, _m'ija_, it has been an….interesting day. Come inside, _¿si?_" Carmen turned to Jasper. "I'll send someone to help you with her things, Jasper." Jasper nodded and just stood to one side, scowling at the whole scene.

Emmet, perhaps remembering some manners though the haze of alcohol, bowed clumsily in Alice's direction. "Pleshur to meet you, Alish!"

Biting her lips together so she wouldn't laugh, Alice held out a hand and placed it on Emmett's chest so he wouldn't tip completely forward onto her and she watched as he swayed and straightened to his full height again, grinning down at her.

Patting his chest with her tiny hand she shook her head and whispered, "He's a giant." Then she felt Carmen take her hand and lead her inside.

**Chapter End Notes:**

"_¡Sinvergüenzas borachos!_" - Drunks without shame (_Sinvergüenzas _is a bit hard to translate. It's a word that literally translates as "without embarassment", but is used to address individuals without shame)


	13. Chapter 13

After the incident with Emmett and Edward in the kitchen, Carmen had taken Bella upstairs to clean up. Although Carmen said that the blouse was a loss, she insisted that she could repair Bella's petticoat with no problem. Then, with Bella changed into a set of clean, dry clothes, Carmen had gathered everything and taken it down to be washed. She didn't notice that Bella had kicked Edward's shirt under her bed.

It had been a purely instinctive move on her part when Carmen wasn't looking and she couldn't say exactly why she'd done it, but she didn't want Carmen to take the cowboy's shirt with her.

Once Carmen had left the room she had gotten down on all fours and reached under the bed to pull the shirt out. Shaking it out a bit she brought the rough cotton fabric up to her nose and sniffed at it a bit. It smelled like him. The thought brought a smile to her face and she wished she could keep it, but figuring that he probably needed his shirt back she folded it neatly and made her way downstairs.

What Bella didn't know was that while Carmen had been helping her dry off and change, the boys had decided to forgive each other over a couple of drinks.

By the time she made it downstairs, they were already deep in their cups. Hearing laughter coming from the room that Carmen had told her was Emmett's office; she made her way that way, peeking in since the door was ajar.

Inside Emmett was practically falling out of a chair, laughing as he watched Edward precariously perched on the back of a chair. It took her a moment, but then she realized that Edward was reenacting her little incident at the gate.

"Then, next thing I knew she was on the ground!" With that Edward tumbled off the back of the chair to the floor where he laid spread eagle for a moment before he and Emmett were both roaring in laughter.

Flushing in humiliation and embarrassment, Bella backed away from the door and quietly made her way upstairs again. Once there she had tossed Edward's shirt into the back of her closet and she sat by the window, just looking at the view outside.

It wasn't long before Carmen had come up with a tray of food. "Here you go, _m'ija_. You best eat here. Your brother and _Eduardo_ are making up in a rather foolish manner." She added under her breath, "_Borachos, sinvergüenzas_." Setting down the tray she continued. "Never try to understand men, _m'ija_, it's like trying to understand why sheep are stupid, they just are. I've brought you some nice stew and some bread. The tea is fresh, too. Hopefully, we can have a nice big dinner all together." They both jumped as they heard a loud bang from downstairs that sounded like someone had knocked over something big. "Or, perhaps not. They better not have broken any furniture this time." And, with that Carmen left the room in a hurry.

Looking at the tray of food, Bella realized that she wasn't very hungry. Truth of the matter was, her feelings were hurt. She liked Edward. There was something about him that had drawn her in, but if the little scene downstairs was any indication, he thought she was a clumsy fool.

Ignoring the tray she continued to look out the window and eventually she dozed off a bit. The last couple of days had been hard on her. Actually, the last couple of months had. She was physically and emotionally drained and she didn't want to think anymore.

It was sometime later when she woke up and noticed that the day had grown late. Carmen must have come in at some point because the tray was gone. Sitting up she yawned and stretched a bit when she looked out the window and noticed a wagon in the distance.

When the wagon got a bit closer she recognized the sheriff, but had no idea who the lady with him was. Before she could get a real good look at the new comer, they were hidden from view by their position closer to the porch's roof.

She didn't have to wait long though, and before she knew it she heard Carmen coming up the stairs, talking away as she usually was. "I am sorry that you got that kind of greeting, _m'ija_. Trust me when I say that _El Patron_ usually isn't like that. He's a good man. Today is just different because, well, it's a long story. I'll tell you later. Right now let's get you settled in your room."

Bella walked over to the door and peeked out into the hallway, hoping not to be caught looking. But, as soon as she cracked the door open her eyes locked with Alice's. Alice stopped from walking into the room that Carmen had just opened the door to and smiled at Bella brightly. "Hello. Who might you be?"

Blushing, Bella opened the door. "I'm Bella. Bella Swan."

Alice looked confused for a moment. Truth was she was wondering if Emmett had sent off for more than one bride. Did he have some first come, first married thing going? Or, was he trying to start a harem? But, her questions were quickly answered as Bella answered.

"I'm Emmett's sister."

Alice grinned brightly. "Mr. Swan didn't tell me he had a sister. I always wanted a sister!"

Before she could say anything else she'd flown into Bella's arms and was hugging her. Bella took a moment to hug her back and she looked at Carmen over Alice's head in confusion.

For the first time since she'd met her Carmen was silent and walked towards the stairs, though she did hear Carmen muttering to herself, "_Cabrón, ni le dijo as su propia hermana que se va casara. Porbres niñas…_" The words trailed off as Carmen disappeared down the stairs.

Alice pulled away from Bella with a bright smile. "Well, my, aren't you pretty."

Bella blushed brightly, but before she could ask Alice who she was, Alice continued, "I can see a bit of resemblance, but you really don't look much like your brother." She giggled. "I swear that man is a giant."

Alice looked at Bella expectantly as if waiting for her to say something. It took Bella a moment to find her voice, "Um, yes, he's always been rather big. Pardon me for asking, ma'am, but…who are you?" She hated to be so formal when the girl was being so nice, but she was thoroughly confused by what was going on.

Alice's eyes went wide. "What? You mean….You mean he didn't tell you?" For a moment Bella thought the girl in front of her was going to start crying, but then she let out a small snort and said, "I'm Alice. I'm here to marry your brother."

To say that Alice's declaration had come as a surprise to Bella would have been a complete understatement and while Bella was taken off guard and upset that her brother hadn't shared this piece of news was her. But, Bella was brought up to be polite and she had simply told Alice that it was a pleasure to meet her.

She wasn't given a chance to say more after that before Alice had dragged her into the room. Before she knew it, Alice's trunks had been brought up by a young man that introduced himself as Tyler, and she was helping Alice to unpack her things.

It wasn't long before they were giggling and talking about different things. Bella had never really had the pleasure of female companionship, and it felt good to have a friend.

By the time that Carmen came upstairs to fetch them down for dinner, Alice and Bella were lying on the bed together talking about how different life was going to be out west. Alice knew that Bella had come out here to be with the only family she had left and Bella knew that Alice was here in search of a new life.

As they made their way downstairs to the dining room they noticed that only two places were set.

"Carmen, won't my brother be joining us?" Bella asked.

Carmen sighed and shook her head. "No, _niñas_. I'm afraid that _El Patron_ and _Eduardo_ are passed out drunk in the bunkhouse…so is the sheriff. Sit and eat. I'll bring the food out."

Bella chewed her lip and looked to Alice then looking to Carmen again she asked, "Would it be all right if we ate in the kitchen, Carmen? No point in such a formal setting." She looked to Alice and continued, "You don't mind, do you?"

Alice grinned and shook her head. "No, as a matter of fact I'd prefer it. No need for pretenses."

Carmen grinned and led them back to the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind, but my husband will be joining us for dinner. He hates waiting till I get home to eat."

Bella and Alice indicated that they didn't mind and they ignored Carmen's protests as they started to serve up their plates rather than let her do it.

They were standing there, serving themselves some beef tips in gravy, beans and mashed taters when an older man with olive skin marked with smile lines came in through the back screen door, holding his hat in his hand. When he spoke, he had a soft, kind voice. "_Ay, perdón_." He looked to Carmen questioningly and was about to turn to exit again when Carmen went up to him, chuckling. "No worry, _veijo_. The girls wanted to join us for supper here in the kitchen since _El Patron_ is…" The man gave her a warning look to which the girls smiled. It wasn't as if they didn't already know that Emmett was passed out drunk somewhere. Carmen continued, "This is Bella, _la hermana_. And, this is Alice, _su novia_."

Bella and Alice each smiled as he bowed his head to each of them. "_Mucho gusto, señoritas_."

Carmen beamed, "This is my husband, Eleazar Barajas de los Santos." It was obvious that she loved her husband by the way that she hooked her arm through his and leaned against him. "_Vente, vejo_. Let's eat."

They all sat at the table and after Alice said grace, they started to eat. It was apparent as the meal went on that Eleazar was as quiet as his wife was talkative. Bella wondered to herself Eleazar's silence had led Carmen to become so verbose with her trying to fill the silence with as much chatter as possible, or if Carmen's tendency to talk a lot was what had lead to Eleazar being so closed mouth. Whatever it was, it was still obvious that they were a happy couple.

By the time supper was over somehow Alice and Bella had managed to get Carmen out of the kitchen, insisting that they would clean up. Carmen continued to protest even as Eleazar gently pulled her of the house. "_¡Pero niñas! _Are you sure? I can stay. Don't worry about sweeping the floors. I can do that in the morning! Oh, and the leftovers can be put in the pie cabinet in some tins! If you have any questions just come looking for me!" Her voice was still going on and on when Eleazar stuck his head back in the door. "_Buenas noches, señoritas_." And, with a kind smile he disappeared with a soft click of the screen door sliding into place.

As Carmen's voice continued to drift back to them even as it got further and further away, Alice and Bella looked to each other and giggled.

___Translations for this chapter:_

_m'ija_ = shortened version of _mi hija_. This directly translates into "my daughter," but is commonly used as a term of endearment to any younger female that one is affectionate towards.

_Borachos_ = drunkards

_sinverguenzas_ = as previous stated, this literally translates to "without emabarassment" and is used to refer to someone who has no shame

_El Patron_ = The Boss

"_Cabrón, ni le dijo as su propia hermana que se va casara. __Porbres niñas…_" = _Cabrón_ literally tranlates to billy goat. Some say that this is a harsh word that means "asshole," but it's actually not that harsh. Kinda hard to think of a comparative word in English (for my Spanish speakers out there, any ideas?). As for the rest of the sentence, "...didn't even tell his own sister that he's getting married. Poor girls..."

"_Ay, perdón_." = "Oh, pardon me."

_veijo _= Old man. In this case used affectionately by Carmen as a nickname for Eleazar

_la hermana _= the sister

_su novia _= can mean "his girlfriend" or, as it's used in this case, "his fiancée"

_"Vente, vejo_." = "Come, old man."

"_Buenas noches, señoritas_." = "Good night, young ladies."

Previou


	14. Chapter 14

Edward was sure that a cow had stomped on his head and a skunk had crawled into his mouth and died. That could be the only explanation for the way he felt. Nearby he heard a clatter that reverberated like a cowbell inside his head and he realized that Emmett had stumbled out of one of the cots and had knocked over a wash basin. Groaning he slung his arm across his eyes.

"Jesus, Emmett!"

"Sorry, sorry," Emmet mumbled in reply, sounding just as bad as Edward felt. Good, this was all Emmett's fault. He was the one that had suggested a drink to forget their pain. He just hadn't realized that they'd finish several bottles.

"Why the hell am I sleeping in here?" Emmett asked as he stumbled over to one of the windows. As he did so he suddenly hollered, "Oh shit!" just as he started to fall over, having tripped over something between two bunks.

This caused Edward to finally look out from under his arm and it took him a moment to process that Emmett had fallen between two of the beds, having tripped over something that was now groaning on the floor.

Covering his eyes again he said, "You are as clumsy as your sister." Bella. Hot dang, he couldn't even drown away thoughts of that girl in liquor. He was pretty sure that if Emmett had been able to see his drunken dreams last night he'd be a dead man. He reached down under the sheet he was lying under to adjust himself.

Luckily, Emmett didn't seem to be paying attention and was looking to the floor where he had tripped. "What the hell are you doing down there, Jasper?"

This caught Edward's attention again and he turned his head in time to see Jasper's head peeking out from between two beds as he sat up. If he didn't think it would hurt, he would have laughed at seeing Jasper's hair sticking out in every direction.

Emmett was helping Jasper up, the latter looking a bit green around the gills.

How had they let things get this far? He had started drinking so he could drown out thoughts of Bella — she was Emmett's sister after all — and Emmett, well, he had kicked him in the balls pretty hard, though he had a feeling that his friend had really been trying to drown out thoughts about Rosalie down at the saloon.

And, Jasper? Well, he'd been too drunk to remember why Jasper had joined in and what sorrows he'd been talking about, but he wouldn't doubt if it was a woman. Right then and there he decided that all the stories about women from Pandora to Eve must be right. Women were at the root of all evil.

Jasper and Emmett had started stumbling about, trying to straighten their clothes up. Apparently Edward had been the only one to strip down before bed.

Sitting up he looked around for his own clothes, but couldn't find them. "Where are my clothes?" he asked, but of course he didn't get a response from either of his friends. As he got on all fours, peering under the bed and Jasper sounded like he was gagging, but it was Emmett that hollered out, "I don't need to see your bare ass sticking up in the air while I'm like this, Edward!"

Edward ignored them and crawled back onto the bed, having only found his boots. Where the fuck were his clothes?

Just then Tyler came in carrying two pails of water and some clothes tucked underneath one arm. "Carmen says y'all should wash up and change. Says she expects you all at breakfast and if you don't show up she'll come here and drag you out." Jasper looked even greener at the mention of food and covered his mouth with a groan, Emmett frowned, and Edward was still trying to figure out where his clothes were.

Tyler tossed Edward some clothes. "The gals are going to be helping Carmen with the laundry today, but Carmen said you can wash the cow shit out of your own clothes. Said some of Eleazer's old stuff would have to do for now since she didn't know where you left your trunk."

Without another word, Tyler turned and left the bunkhouse. Emmett looked at Edward and asked, "How the hell did you get cow shit on your clothes, Edward?"

Edward shrugged and slipped into the clothes that Tyler had given him. Edward was quite a bit taller than Eleazar and when he saw that the sleeves were halfway up his forearms and the pants fell several inches above his ankles, he pondered just going naked, especially when Emmett snickered at him. He was about to do just that when Jasper finally spoke. "Don't even think about it, Edward. There are some decent young ladies living here now."

Edward sighed as Bella's smiling face flitted across his mind again. He was a goner.

Emmet frowned and asked, "Ladies? Which ladies? I mean, there's Bella, but Carmen, well, she's a lady and all, but she's seen Edward and the rest of us buck naked enough times to make even Eleazer frown."

Jasper scowled. "Don't you remember? I came here yesterday with Alice."

"Alice?" Emmett looked confused for a second. "Wait? My Alice!" This little declaration made Jasper scowl even more and without a word he turned and left the bunkhouse. Emmett looked to Edward for clarification and to which Edward just shrugged. Going to one of the pails of water he splashed a generous amount on his face. "C'mon now, Em. We'd better being going. Carmen's not the type to make idle threats and I don't need her coming in here hollering at me at the moment."

Emmet pouted and made his way back towards the main house with Edward. It was obvious that he was confused about this new development. Well, that and he was upset at the fact that he'd met his future wife for the first time while three-sheets to the wind…and he couldn't remember what she looked like or what he'd said.

Entering the house through the back, Edward felt his stomach recoil at the smell of food, but he knew better than to show too much discomfort. That would only set Carmen off more and he was pretty sure that she wasn't happy with them as it was. Emmett wasn't so lucky and he dashed back out, throwing up over the side of the back porch's rail.

Edward wrinkled his nose as he heard Emmett retching, but he told himself to man up and straightened to his full 6'3"…which only caused his pants to hike up more.

Carmen was standing at the table and for a moment Edward felt like he was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun with the way she was glaring at him.

"_Sientate a comer, Eduardo_." Her tone left no room for argument and Edward just nodded and moved to sit down in front of one of the heaping plates of sausage, scrambled eggs, slices of fried ham, and biscuits slathered in gravy. At that moment he thought he was going to die. "_Y te lo vas a comer todo_." He was pretty sure that she would stand there and make him eat every bite, too. She was doing it on purpose, damn her hide.

Before he could muster the strength to pick up his fork and try to swallow the first bite full, she set a cup of good, strong black coffee in front of him. That's when he knew everything would be all right and she'd get over her anger at their behavior. He gave her a crooked smile and she sighed, shaking her head and made her way out to the back porch to check on Emmett.

Translations for chapter:

"_Sientate a comer, Eduardo_." = "Sit down and eat, Edward."

"_Y te lo vas a comer todo_." = "And, you're going to eat everything."


	15. Chapter 15

Bella was out at the far side of the house where the clothesline and a water pump was located getting ready for laundry day with Alice. Carmen had protested, of course, and even though all this was new to Bella, she figured she might as well learn.

When Carmen had finally relented to Alice's perky comebacks to her protests, she had asked them to wait till after everyone had a big breakfast together. At that point it was both girls' turn to object.

Alice insisted that she didn't want her first real conversation with her fiancé to take place while he was suffering from a hangover and Bella was too upset at both Emmett and Edward to really face either of them. She was hurt that Emmett had not told her about Alice and that Edward had made fun of her. Well, there was that and the fact that she had seen a stark-raving naked Edward walking around the previous evening the previous evening.

She'd gotten up in the middle of the night and made her way down to the kitchen to get a glass of water when she heard someone walk in through the back screen door. Turning around she could only stand there stunned as she took in the sight of Edward in nothing but a cowboy hat and cowboy boots swaying drunkenly by the door. He looked around in confusion a moment, tipped his hat at her, and said, "Ma'am." Then he'd just turned around and walked out again.

It was a sight she was sure never to forget. She'd never really seen a man naked and the sight of Edward without a stitch on had made things stir within her that she never felt before. But, despite these feelings she was still hurt by the way he'd poked fun at her.

No, she wasn't ready to see him again…clothed or not.

Alice brought her out of her thoughts by saying. "I think the water's hot enough to put the clothes in now with a bit of lye. We start with the linens and the whites then move on to the nicer dark colored clothes and finally the dirtiest stuff. I'm still not touching that stuff covered in manure though."

Bella nodded and brought over the linens and whites like Alice asked. "If you don't mind my asking, how'd you learn to do this?"

Alice grinned and using a large instrument shaped like a paddle she started to dunk the clothes that Bella had brought over inside the large tin tub of water that was set over an open fire. "Oh, the nuns taught me."

Bella blinked. "Nuns?"

Alice had to use the full weight of her tiny frame to start stirring the contents of the tub and she nodded. "I was raised by nuns. I'm an orphan see." She shrugged as if it were no big deal. "They took me in and taught me a lot about proper housework. Also helped train me to get my job as a schoolmarm when I was old enough. Can you hand me the lye?"

Bella handed the box over and watched as Alice sprinkled some of the contents of the box into the water before she handed it back and started stirring again. She was a bit ashamed that she didn't understand this process. In her old life there had always been clean clothes in the closet and drawers and fresh linens on the bed. She'd never given much thought to what the servants had to do to make sure that was the case.

"Why don't you let me do that, Alice? You'd be better at sorting the rest of the stuff anyway. I know I'd screw it all up."

Alice nodded and waited for Bella to come take the paddle from her. "Just keep stirring it around. After a few more minutes we'll move it over to the other tub for a scrubbing and rinsing."

They continued to work together for a while talking about mundane things before Carmen came to join them. Though the older lady kept saying that they shouldn't be helping her with such things, both Alice and Bella could tell that she was happy for the help and they smiled and glanced at each other as Carmen went into one of her long monologues about how laundry, chores, and other topics.

Bella was still stirring some of the last of the clothing in the tub over the fire while Alice scrubbed and rinsed and Carmen hung the clothes on the clothesline when she heard a familiar voice say, "Good afternoon, ladies."

Looking up she noticed Edward standing over the pile of his manure covered clothed. "Now how the hell did I do that?" He was wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a faded blue shirt, having changed out of the clothes that Carmen had given him. Alice and Carmen just chuckled at his words and Bella looked away and started to move the contents of the tub she was stirring into the tub where Alice was standing.

She grunted a bit under the strain of the wet clothes and felt Edward come to stand beside her. "Here, let me help you with that." Without looking at him she simply said, "I got it." And, continued to work, not looking his way again. She knew she was a sight. She'd never done any real physical labor and though it felt good to work muscles she didn't know she had, she was also sweaty and flushed from standing over the hot water while she worked. She could feel that her white blouse was clinging to her skin and there were strands of her hair that had fallen out of her bun and were plastered to her face and neck. It hadn't bothered her when it was just Alice and Carmen, they were in the same state after all, but with Edward being here, it was different. She didn't need to give him more reason to tease her so she felt she needed to prove herself.

Alice gave Bella a bit of a strange look, but then just turned to Edward. "I take it that's your soiled clothing there, cowboy? Carmen said you'd be washing that yourself."

Edward had been a bit taken aback when Bella had refused his help and had just stood there, looking at her, trying to figure out what was wrong when Alice's voice broke into his thoughts. "Yes, ma'am, and the names Edward."

Alice nodded, "I know. You can call me Alice." With that Alice turned to Bella. "Why don't you go on in, Bella?"

Carmen joined in the conversation as she came over to wring out more of the clothes that Alice had rinsed so she could put it in her basket and carry it over to the clothesline. "_Si, m'ija_. You should go in. We're almost done here and we're only having a light lunch so there's nothing to do in the kitchen. We'll be in a bit." She gave Bella a kind, understanding smile.

Bella nodded and without looking Edward's way, she made her way back into the house.

When Edward had finished changing out of the clothes that Carmen had lent him and made his way towards the other side of the house to wash the clothes that she said was covered in manure, he'd stopped short as he turned the corner of the house and caught sight of Bella. Right away he felt his heart thundering. She took his breath away.

She was working hard, that much was obvious by the way she was straining herself over the tub of laundry. Her skin was glowing and flushed with a light sheen of sweat and her blouse was clinging to her in the most delightful way. As he took in the sight of her he felt that tightening in his pants again and groaned softly. What was he? A thirteen year old boy? He hadn't gotten this many hard-ons from just looking since he'd been a kid and first discovered that he could get it up at all.

Taking a few deep breaths and getting his emotions under control he made his way up to the group. It didn't take him long to realize that Bella would barely look at him and he actually felt a bit hurt when she'd refused his offer to help her. What was up with her?

As she walked away after Alice and Carmen told her to go inside, he watched her with a bit of a frown until she disappeared around the house and didn't say a word as he started to wash his stinking clothes.

"So, Edward, how are you feeling today?" Alice asked, looking at him with an impish smile. "No lingering effects of your…little celebration last night I hope."

Edward snorted and started to stir his clothes in the tub of hot water. It was so filthy he was pretty sure he was going to have to heat up several more tubs of water before the stink really came out. "I'm just fine, ma'am."

"Alice," she reminded him.

"Alice." He nodded. "I think Emmett and Jasper are suffering worse than I am. I was surprised Jasper left as quick as he did this morning. Thought he'd barely be able to sit in the wagon, much less steer it." He chuckled a bit.

He didn't notice the strange expression that crossed Alice's features at the mention of Jasper's name and continued to work on getting his clothes clean. At this point Carmen came to get the last batch of clothes that Alice was working on. "Go inside, _m'ija_. I'm just going to hang this up and go in and start lunch. It won't take me long."

"Oh, I can help you with that, Carmen," Alice responded quickly.

"_No_, _m'ija_. You and Bella have done so much already. This would have taken me the whole day if it weren't for the help you two already gave me. Go. I'm sure you want to wash up a bit before lunch…especially since _El Patron_ will be joining you."

Alice flushed a bit and nodded. As she turned to go she smiled at Edward. "Good luck with that clothes, Edward."

He gave her a crooked smile in response and watched for a moment as she bounced away. That girl was just a ball of energy.

Carmen started to wring out the last of the clothes not counting Edward's. "_Que muchachas tan lindas_. _El Patron_ is very lucky to have them both here. This place needed more women."

Edward shrugged in response. Of course, that was all the encouragement that Carmen needed to continue.

"You really shouldn't tease Bella like that though, _Eduardo_. _No esta empuesta_."

Edward stopped stirring then and looked at her in confusion. "Tease her?"

Carmen nodded. "Yesterday you kept making fun of the way that she fell. _Yo se que 'stabas boracho_ and that it helped mend things with _El Patron_, but she's not used to it. She's a strong girl, but she's also sensitive."

Edward groaned and ran his hand over his face. Was that what this was all about? Well, shit.

"I'll apologize to her, Carmen."

Carmen smiled at him and winked. "Good." And, with that she went to hang up the last of the laundry, leaving Edward to finish his own.

Translations for this chapter:

_Si, m'ija_./_No_, _m'ija_. = Yes, dear./No, dear. Again, though this is a shortened version of "mi hija" which literally translates into "my daughter" it is actually a common term of endearment that older indivdiuals use for young women.

_El Patron_ = The Boss

_Que muchachas tan lindas_. = What sweet girls.

_No esta empuesta. _= She's not used to it.

_Yo se que 'stabas boracho... _= I know that you were drunk...


	16. Chapter 16

To say that Emmett felt like hell would be a complete understatement. The last time he'd gotten as drunk as he had the previous evening was when he'd sent out an advertisement for a mail-order bride. Now that bride was here and he'd apparently been drunk off his ass when he'd met her.

The one good thing about having a hangover was that Carmen hadn't bothered to chastise him this morning for his behavior. Instead, she'd made him drink lots of coffee, eat a good breakfast —though he still wasn't sure if that was for his benefit or just to make him suffer since his stomach was still queasy—and then she'd gotten a bath ready for him, telling him that he was going to officially meet Alice at lunch and that he had to look presentable.

Honestly, he was rather nervous about the whole thing. He had a very hazy, vague recollection of meeting some little person yesterday, but other than recalling that she'd been small, he couldn't remember much else about her.

As he finished bathing and got dressed he couldn't help but think about Rosie. Would Alice help him forget her? He doubted it, but he was willing to try.

Going out to the nearby holding pen where the new cattle were, he made sure that everything was under control for the branding and stayed talking to Eleazar about things for a bit before he realized it was time to head back for lunch.

Riding in, he unsaddled and let his horse loose in the padlock in front of the barn before he started to make his way to the house. As he approached through the back entrance of the kitchen, he heard Carmen talking with someone whose voice he didn't recognize.

Coming up the back porch he took his cowboy hat off before he came in through the screen door and he stood there nervously as he watched a tiny woman turn to him and greet him with a bright smile. "Well, hello, Emmett."

"Hello," he smiled in return. He took in the sight of her. She was small, yes, but she was grown, having curves in the right places. She was really a pretty little thing with her clear skin with a few, scattered freckles across her nose, nice green eyes, and shiny brown hair that was pulled back in a bun. She also had the kind of smile that couldn't help but make people smile back.

But, she wasn't Rosie.

He pushed that thought out of his head, ashamed at the direction of his thoughts, when she came up and smiled at him, having to tilt her head back to look him full in the eye. "Still just as big as yesterday I see," she teased and chuckled. "You look much better than you did last evening, Emmett."

He actually blushed in embarrassment, "Um, well, I…um, I'm sorry about that, ma'am." Alice chuckled. "It's all right. Let's sit and eat shall we? I figure it takes a lot of food to keep a big fellow like you going."

He smiled a bit at her in return and nodded his head. Well, she was as cute as a button and that made him feel even worse for some reason.

Carmen was packing up some crates of food to take out to Eleazar and the other men working on branding the cattle. "I'm going to take the small wagon to take the food out to the men, _Patron_." Tyler came in and started to help her with the crates. As she grabbed her bonnet on the way out, she gave Emmet a pointed look. "_!Apasiguate!_"

Emmet sighed and nodded then looked to Alice as she spoke. "Shall we eat?" She started to fill both their plates with the food that was set out.

He sat down and after a moment, something seemed to hit him. "Where's Bells?"

"Oh, your sister is eating up in her room. Said she was feeling poorly."

Emmett frowned and started to get up. "She all right? I should go check on her."

Alice reached out and placed a tiny hand on his arm to stop him from getting up. "She's fine. I think she just has to sort out some things."

"Sort out what things?" Emmett asked with a confused frown.

"She thought we should have some time to get to know each other. Wasn't like our first meeting was proper-like," she teased. "Besides, she's also not very happy with you at the moment."

Emmet blinked in surprised. "Not happy with me? What'd I do?"

Alice sighed a bit and paused in the act of serving him some beans. "Think, Emmett." When he just sat there looking confused she shook her head and continued. "I know she's only been here one day and all, but you should have told her I was coming."

Emmett looked taken aback and then he blushed and nodded, looking ashamed.

"Seems you have some apologizing to do to your sister."

He nodded again.

She smiled at him. "May I suggest a tour of the ranch and an outing to town soon? I'd come along of course. Now, let's say grace and eat, shall we?"

Now Emmett looked just plain flabbergasted. He'd never been one to say grace, but he bowed his head obediently as Alice went into her short prayer.

"Dear Lord, thank you for the food that we are about to eat. May it keep us strong and healthy. Amen."

"Amen," mumbled Emmet, grateful that it'd been a short prayer.

As he picked up his fork to eat Alice smiled at him. "So, tell me a bit about yourself," she said.

"Uh, well, what'd you like to know?"

"Do you always get stinking drunk?" He almost choked on his next bite of food, not having expected such a direction and when he looked her and saw she was giving him an impish grin he started to laugh.

"No." He kept laughing. "I really am sorry about that, ma'am."

"Call me Alice. We're going to be married after all."

He smiled a bit at that and nodded. "Well, I am sorry, Alice. Was just letting off some steam with Edward after, uh, a little misunderstanding we had yesterday."

She snickered. "Yes, I heard all about that misunderstanding. I'd ask what happened after I came in side with Carmen, but I doubt you remember. I'm rather curious as to how Edward's clothes ended up in such a state though."

Emmett chuckled and continued his conversation with her as they ate feeling more and more comfortable with each passing moment. It was like having a meal with an old friend or Bella.

By the time the meal was over he was pulling on his hat to head out again. "I don't know if Carmen told you, but we usually have big suppers with all the hands and workers at the end of a big day like a branding day. Hope you don't mind having to meet everyone else at once. They're a rowdy but good bunch of fellows."

Alice smiled. "I don't mind at all Emmet…and don't worry. I'll make sure Bella's feeling better by then."

He grinned and winked at her before he turned and headed out.

Branding was the not the easiest of work. It was hard to get the cattle lined up in the holding pen and even with them in the right place sometimes men got seriously hurt.

By the time Edward joined the group doing the work later that afternoon only a few head of cattle had been done and he immediately joined the rest of the men in working with the rest of the herd.

When Emmett joined them he got straight to work as well so it wasn't till a while later that he and Edward got the chance to exchange more than few words.

"So, you get your clothes all clean?" Emmett asked with a chuckled.

Edward just shrugged and smiled a bit in response. "Yeah. Had a hell of a time doing it. Considered just calling it a loss and buying some more clothes in town."

Emmett laughed. "Probably would have been easier, but Carmen sure as hell would have given you a tough time of it. I wonder how Eleazar does it."

At that moment they watched as Eleazar managed to get an angry bull into the branding pen despite his small stature and both men started to laugh. "

"Well, if he can handle and angry heifer I supposed he can handle Carmen," Emmett added.

Edward chuckled. "Don't let her catch you saying that. I hate to think what she'd do if she heard you comparing her to a heifer."

Emmett laughed again. "Well, she is a force to be reckoned with."

"Seems your sister and Alice are, too," Edward said. Emmett's smile faded a bit and he nodded.

Edward glanced at him, noticing the change. "She seems like a sweet gal, Em. Give it a chance."

Emmett sighed and nodded. "We should go help before Tyler falls on his head again. Don't know how many more lumps he can take."

Edward let the subject drop. He knew that Emmett had it bad for Rosalie over at the saloon, but that girl was nothing but heartbreak for his friend. Edward felt that Emmett was a good guy that deserved to be happy. Alice might not be the passionate, sexy creature that Rosalie was, but Edward thought she seemed nice and she wasn't bad to look at. He didn't think that she held a candle to Bella of course.

Bella.

Even as he worked she was on his mind. It was like her image was seared into his brain in much the same way they were burning the Big E brand into the cattle. He just couldn't help thinking of her.

By the time that they had finished branding the small herd it was well into the evening and the sun was setting over the horizon in the distance. The group of men that had been working made their way to the homestead for the evening meal. When they got there, they took care of their mounts, making sure the horses were unsaddled and fed before they made their way to the back of the house where Carmen had several tables set up straining under the weight of the meal she'd prepared.

Alice and Bella had obviously helped and they were making sure that everyone got served well along with Carmen who was still bringing more dishes out from the kitchen. The men were polite, but it was obvious that most of them were gravitating towards Alice due to her outgoing nature. She had already set several of the hands into fits of laughter as she teased while she helped them serve up their meals. Bella on the other hand introduced herself politely when the men did, but stayed quiet otherwise as she did the same.

Edward bypassed the table that Alice was at and went straight to the table where Bella was, holding his empty plate. "Good evening, Bella."

Bella looked at him and without smiling she responded, "Good evening, Edward." Without another word she started to dish up some food onto the plate he was holding.

"It…seems I owe you an apology," he said softly, hoping no one would overhear.

She looked at him then, her brown eyes flashing with hurt and a bit of anger. "You don't owe me anything."

Before he could say anything else she had moved on, serving the next hand that was in line and he heard Alice calling to him, "Hey, Edward! Didn't you want any of these beans? I made them myself!"

Nodding he moved to the table were Alice was standing, throwing one last worried glance in Bella's direction. Alice was spooning food onto his plate. "So seems both you and Emmett have some groveling to do."

He looked at her in surprise. "Huh?"

She smiled and shrugged. "Seems to me like Bella's mad at you over something. Emmett's got to find his way back into her good graces, too."

He arched a brow. "What'd Em do?"

Alice shrugged again. "Forgot to tell her about me."

Edward chuckled at that and leaning towards her he whispered, "You got any advice?"

She looked at him with twinkling eyes and simply said, "Girls always like nice unexpected surprises, Edward. I'm sure you'll think of something."

Spanish translations:

"_!Apasiguate!_" = Behave!


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning Emmett had left before Bella and Alice had even woken up, and though they tried to help Carmen with more chores she insisted that there wasn't much to be done and there were certain things that she preferred to do herself. Both young women had attempted to argue—with Alice holding out in her arguments a bit longer due to her stubborn streak—but in the end they'd been sent off while Carmen continued her constant work in the kitchen, though she did end up promising Alice that they could help with the evening meal.

This break from work actually left both girls time to walk around and just talk. They had talked plenty the first day that Alice had arrived, but now that they were starting to feel easier with each other the conversation was more personal. Alice talked about the troubles she had due to her political views concerning negros and told Bella a bit more about her life with the nuns. Bella talked about her life in Chicago and about her parents' death and how she missed them. Both were excited about the new lives they were hoping to lead now that they were somewhere different.

After having a light lunch with Carmen in the kitchen and helping her clean up despite her protests, Emmett came into the house with a big grin. Carmen and Bella knew that grin very well and wondered what he was up to.

Emmett knew that Bella was still upset because he hadn't told her about Alice and the whole mail-order bride bit and he didn't like that she was avoiding him. "I have a surprise for you, Bells!"

Without giving her a chance to say anything he took her hand he pulled her out of the kitchen through the back. There, sitting just off the back porch was a donkey with a saddle. Letting go of Bella's hand he walked over and took the donkey's reins and grinned as if he were showing her an Arabian stallion.

Bella stood there, looking at the donkey in confusion while the donkey looked back at her, ear twitching, with an expression that seemed to say, 'Don't ask me. I don't know what's going on either.'

Bella looked back to Emmett and tilted her head. "What's this all about, Emmett?"

By this time Alice and Carmen had followed them out and they were standing behind Bella with equal looks of confusion.

"I'm going to teach you how to ride!" Emmett announced proudly, puffing up his chest.

Bella blinked, looked at the donkey, turned to look over her shoulder at Alice and Carmen, before she looked back to Emmett. Looking at the expression on her face, for a moment Emmett though that she was going to cry. He was pretty sure she was crying when she covered her face with her hands and her shoulders began to shake.

"Oh, Bells, I'm sorry. You're probably scared. The donkey won't hurt you," Emmett said soothingly.

With that Bella let her hands fall away and she let out a loud unlady-like hoot of laughter. Behind her Alice had started giggling and Carmen was shaking her head and muttering, "_Huerco burro. Necessita hablar con su herman pa' que puede saber que le gusta y que puede ser…_"

Emmett just looked at them in confusion. "What?"

"Bear, I'm not riding a donkey," Bella said through her laughter.

"Well, why not! She's a perfectly good animal, Bella, and, like I said, she won't hurt you…" Emmett was sure that Bella was just scared due to her clumsiness. Maybe trying to teach her how to ride wasn't the best peace offering. Shit. He just hoped that she didn't stay angry. He was _trying_ to make things better after all. "It's a good way to learn how to start riding and…"

Still laughing, Bella made her way down the stairs and tiptoed up to give Emmett a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Looking up at him, squinting against the sun, she grinned. "Bear, I know how to ride."

He blinked. "You know how to ride?"

She laughed and nodded. "When you sent all those pictures of you out here and sent letters about the ranch I became obsessed with the wild west so I made mom and dad sign me up for riding lessons."

"Riding lessons?" He looked uncertain.

"I'm pretty good at riding, Bear." Bella smiled.

"Good at riding?" He looked really doubtful then.

Alice came down the steps and stood nearby, patting the donkey on the neck. "You going to keep repeating everything your sister says, Emmett, or you going to give her a chance to prove herself?"

Emmett just continued to stand there looking confused even as Bella said, "Wait, Alice. I didn't bring any riding clothes with me. It was being sent later."

Alice, who had already told Bella she was a self professed clothes nut, shrugged her tiny shoulders, "So? We ain't in the big city here, Bella, nobody cares. Right, Emmet?" Emmet was still standing there stunned and didn't get a chance to respond as Alice continued, "It'll just be a short ride to prove that you can do it and then tomorrow when we go into town for church we can see if there's any way to get you some split skirts for riding and anything else you might need. Right, Emmet?"

Emmett was stunned by several things in Alice's little speech, but the one that stuck the most caused him to forget the others. "Uh, church?"

Alice grinned up at him. "Oh, don't joke, Emmett, _of course_ we're going to church. I know that there isn't any Catholic Churches here, but God just cares that we give him a bit of our time _every Sunday _so it doesn't matter what church we go to."

Bella was trying to hold in a laugh at the expression on Emmett's face. He looked horrified by the prospect, but of course that wasn't about to deter Alice and she went on speaking as if she hadn't noticed Emmett's reaction. "So, you going to go fetch a real horse for Bella or not?"

Emmett just nodded and led the donkey back towards the barn muttering under his breath about having to go to church.

Bella turned to Alice and chuckled. "You're good for him, Alice."

Alice just smiled and shrugged. "I'm kinda set in my ways. If we're getting married he's going to have to get used to that. And, church really is important. Of course, so is the shopping we have to do afterwards."

Bella smiled. "Guess being raised by nuns has a bit to do with that."

Alice just winked at her and watched as Emmett came back with a beautiful chestnut brown mare. He frowned as he led the horse towards Bella. "You sure about this, Bells?"

Taking the reins from him she smiled. "Don't worry, Emmett. I know what I'm doing." She patted the mare's neck and looked her over. "She's beautiful. Is she yours?" Emmett nodded. "Give me a leg up?" she asked.

Hesitating a moment he adjusted his cowboy hat on his head then moved to help her up into the saddle. She slid into place with a bit of difficult due to her skirt and petticoats, which didn't give Emmett much confidence in her abilities. Alice came up, patted Emmett's arm, and said, "Don't worry. She'll do just fine."

Emmett still looked unsure and was about to say something when Bella used the click of her tongue and movement of the reins to get the horse moving. Before Emmett could say anything else she looked over at him with a bright grin, moved the reins, and took off in a trot.

Her laughter was the only thing that drifted back as she heard Emmett calling out to her.

Despite her clumsiness she was actually very graceful on a horse and road easily as she had the mare increase her pace. She really had begged for riding lessons not long after Emmett had first written them about the ranch and after months of asking her parents finally relented. Though her mother had suggested that she learn to ride sidesaddle, her father had insisted otherwise, saying that with Bella's clumsy nature she'd be sturdier on horseback if she rode astride. Of course this would have caused a scandal if it wasn't for the fact that she only road around Swan property so there was really no one to make a fuss about her being less than ladylike.

As she took the horse into a fast trot around the homestead she smiled brightly. Riding had been one of the few things that had made her feel a sense of freedom when she'd been living in Chicago. She'd always begged for her own horse, but her parents had never relented on that front and she'd ridden one of her father's mounts whenever she had had the chance.

Deciding she didn't want to just stick to the area around the homestead, she rode out a bit, ignoring the hollering she heard from Emmett. She broke the horse out into a full run and laughed again. She couldn't remember feeling this light hearted and happy since her parents had died.

She wasn't foolish though and she had no intention of letting the homestead disappear from sight. She knew that there was a lot of open country out here and she didn't know it well enough not to get lost if she lost it from view.

She had turned the horse and was trotting a course parallel to the homestead when she heard someone racing up behind her. Keeping the horse in a steady run she turned in the saddle to see Edward racing towards her on his own horse.

Edward had just ridden in from checking on one of the herds when he heard Emmett hollering. Figuring something was wrong he raced his horse over to the front of the house and was surprised by what he saw. Emmett was looking down at Alice and shouting, "She's going to break her neck!" Alice didn't seem in the least bit intimidated by Emmett's size or the furry on his face as she poked him in the chest and looked up to him, shouting back, "Now you listen here, mister! She's a grown woman and is more capable than you give her credit for!"

Edward stopped his horse short of the two and asked, "What's going on here? What's wrong?"

Alice turned to him, but before she could say anything Emmett was screaming again, "That horse ran off with my sister!"

Edward didn't even wait to hear anymore and he took off on his horse, going after the trail of dust he saw a horse kicking up in the distance.

He wondered what the heck she was doing on a horse in the first place. The girl was going to get herself killed! He felt his horse straining under him as he urged it to go faster and faster, trying to catch up to the animal in the distance.

As he got closer he didn't notice that Bella was actually in control of her mount and he reached out and grabbed the reins, pulling on them hard to stop the horse from going any further. The animal that Bella was one was startled by the sudden tug and reared up on his hind legs as it was brought to a sudden stop. Although Bella was an experienced rider she wasn't expecting Edward to pull on the reins the way he did and she barely had a chance to grab the saddle horn so she wouldn't go tumbling off the back of the horse.

Edward, hadn't had much time to think in his attempt to play hero so he was cursing himself for not going easier on the reins just as the horse had reared up. When he saw Bella hold on to the saddle he was thankful that she had thought to do so. He expected her to be a weeping mess that would fall readily in his arms so he was a bit surprised when she snatched the reins from him again and started screaming.

Grabbing the reins from him, Bella managed to steady her horse and turning to Edward she cried out, "Are you crazy! What's wrong with you! You could have killed me!"

Edward sat nearby his horse moving restlessly next to him. "Emmett said…I thought…"

"You thought what? That I was so clumsy that I couldn't control a horse that I was riding? Do you really think I'm so stupid as to get on a horse if I didn't know how to ride one properly!"

Now he was getting angry. "You can't even keep yourself from falling off a closed gate!" He regretted the words as soon as he said them since she looked angry enough to blow steam. "I mean….I didn't mean that…"

She glared at him and in a cold voice she replied, "Well, I guess you'll just have to reenact this little scene with my brother. I'm so glad I could provide you with more material, Mr. Masen." With that she tugged on the reins and turned the horse back in the direction of the homestead. He sat there for a moment, silently cursing himself before he urged his horse forward, moving to have his mount walk next to hers.

"Bella?"

She ignored him and didn't answer.

"Miss Bella? Ma'am. I'm sorry. I….I just thought you needed my help."

She continued to look forward, not saying anything in response.

"I didn't mean you any harm and I sure as hell didn't mean to hurt your feelings by teasing you the way I did. I just…it was amusing and…"

She turned there and glared at him. "I'm glad I could amuse you," she said sharply.

"That's not what I meant. Jesus, I always say and do the wrong things around you." He took a deep breath before he continued, "You see, the thing is I couldn't get you out of my mind and I was afraid your brother would notice that I was talking too much about you so I tried to talk about you in a way that wouldn't make him think that…" Damn, now he wasn't saying the wrong thing, he was just saying too much.

Bella looked at him curiously and asked, "That what, Mr. Masen?"

"I thought we were past all that 'Mr. Masen' business," he grumbled.

She shrugged. "Look, _Edward_, I appreciate that you think that you were trying to help, but I am capable of a lot of things _including_ riding a horse."

He nodded and gave her a bit of a crooked smile. "I'm beginning to see that."

She sighed. "I also have no doubt that my brother is behind this somehow."

Edward chuckled, "Well, he did make it sound like you were on a runaway horse. Course, now I know to trust Alice more. She was in his face about it when I rode up. Well, in his chest. I don't think she's tall enough to be in his face unless she's standing on a chair."

Bella couldn't help but laugh at that and she gave him a smile. He thought he had died, gone to heaven, and was now facing an angel.

**Chapter End Notes:**

Thank you so much for the reviews! I am loving all of them.

Please recommend this story to your friends!

Spanish translation:

"_Huerco burro. Necessita hablar con su herman pa' que puede saber que le gusta y que puede ser…_" = "Stupid boy. He needs to talk to his sister so he can know what she likes and what she's capable of..."


	18. Chapter 18

Bella could feel the eyes watching her as she sat in church; it was almost enough to set a lady to fidgeting, but she pushed down the urge and glanced at Alice and Emmett who were sitting next to her. Emmett looked just as uncomfortable as she felt and only Alice seemed oblivious to all the stares, either that or she didn't care. Alice was just sitting there, in her lemon yellow dress trimmed in white lace and matching bonnet with her tiny hands, encased in pristine white gloves, folded on her lap, paying close attention to the sermon.

Bella looked at her own hands that were nervously toying with the folds of the skirt of her emerald green and black dress. She didn't want to be there. It wasn't that she minded being in church, she really didn't, but she didn't like all the attention that she, Alice, and her brother seemed to be getting. They were so much of a novelty that when the preacherr13;a surprisingly young looking, blond man with a full face that made him look even youngerr13;made his way to the front of the church he had actually stopped and gawked at them opened mouth for a bit before he had gotten around to preaching. If it weren't for the fact that she was so nervous because of all the attention she was sure that she would have fallen asleep. The man was that boring. In fact, Emmett had fallen asleep at one point and it was only Alice's discreetly elbowing him that had kept him from falling over in his seat or completely snoring.

When the service was over and people started to make their way out of the church Alice leaned over and whispered, "Well, that was interesting." Bella didn't have a chance to ask her what they meant before Emmett was ushering them both out with his large hands at the center of their backs. Leaning between both girls he whispered, "And, now the wolves descend."

Bella didn't have to ask him what he meant as they stepped out into the bright morning light and she noticed that now she didn't just feel the stares, now she could see people standing in small groups, looking over at them and twittering. The only person that she recognized was Mr. Mallory who was standing with two women who she figured was his wife and daughter. Mr. Mallory gave her a smile that was a bit of a leer and the two women were staring daggers at their group, though she didn't understand why.

Next to her, Emmett said, "Well, this is uncomfortable. How about we go grab a bite to eat…" Before he could continue he was interrupted by the preacher who was rushing up to them smiling. "Mr. Swan! What a pleasure to see you in church this Sunday! And, who are these lovely young ladies with you?"

Emmett sighed and just nodded. "Hello, Reverend Newton. This is my sister, Bella Swan and my, uh, fiancée Alice Brandon."

The reverend seemed to grin even more after hearing the introduction. "Fiancée? Well, congratulations are in order then! It's nice to meet you Miss Brandon." He quickly shook Alice's hand and then just as quickly turned his attention to Bella. "It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Miss Swan." He took her hand and shook it, keeping her hand in his own a bit longer than necessary. She blushed a bit and responded, "Um, a pleasure to meet you, Reverend Newton."

He grinned and continued to hold her hand. "Oh, please call me Mike!"

Bella was just beginning to get uncomfortable and Emmett was just starting to scowl when a bubbly young woman in a lilac dress with little blue flowers came bouncing up to them and Mike finally let go of Bella's hand. "Hi! Reverend Mike, you want to introduce me to your new friends?" the newcomer asked.

Mike just smiled and nodded. "Jessica, this is Miss Bella Swan, Mr. Swan's sister, and Miss Alice Brandon, his fiancée. Miss Swan, Miss Brandon, this is Miss Jessica Stanley."

The girl grinned and both of them as she shook their hands. "Hi! It's so nice to meet both of you! I was wondering during the service who you could be and I just couldn't keep my eyes off your dresses. It's so obvious that your both not from here!" She turned to Mike for a moment and said, "It was a great service, by the way, Reverend Mike," then she continued talking to Bella and Alice. "It'll be so nice having some new young ladies in town to talk to! There are very few people are age in these here partsr13;isn't that right, Reverend Mike?r13; It's just really me and Lauren. I can't wait till we're able to get to know each other a bit more…"

Bella was beginning to wonder if Jessica was going to keep talking forever when Alice grinned and interrupted. "Oh, I'm sure we'll have more time to get to know each other, Miss Stanley, unfortunately we have quite a number of things to do before we head back to the ranch. It was so nice to meet you though. You too, Reverend. We'll see you next Sunday God willing." With that she hooked her arms through Bella and Emmet's, who were standing on either side of her, and started to lead them off.

Bella was trying to stifle a giggle and Emmett was grinning brightly again as they headed in the direction of the main street in town.

Alice noticed Bella's expression and shrugged. "Well, it's not like she really wanted us around anyway. She wanted time with Reverend Mike." As she said the last part she imitated Jessica's voice exactly and Bella giggled a bit.

Alice winked at her then looked up at Emmet. "So, where we going now, Emmet?"

Emmet smiled. "Well, I thought we'd have dinner down at the hotel. Sue's cooking is almost as good as Carmen's. Then I know you girls talked about buying some things, which works out since I need to stock up on some supplies for the ranch."

Bella smiled. "Sounds great, Bear."

As they walked down the sidewalk side by side towards the building marked as the hotel they saw Jasper.

Jasper stopped short when he saw them, but then he came over with a smile. "Hello, Emmett. Ladies." He smiled and tipped his hat as he greeted Alice and Bella. "What brings you three into town?"

Alice just stood there, smiling, so Bella was the one that answered. "Oh, um, we came to the Sunday service."

Jasper moved his eyes away from Alice, looked at Bella as she answered, then looked at Emmett with a chuckle. "You? At church?"

Emmett scowled back at Jasper and it was then that Alice finally spoke. "Why weren't you at church, Jasper?"

Jasper gave Alice a startled look and now it was Emmett's turn to laugh.

"Well, actually, uh, my deputy's wife just had a baby so I'm giving him time with the new family and we both know how incompetent Deputy Yorkie is."

Emmett and Bella looked confused and Emmett asked, "You know Deputy Yorkie?"

Alice smiled at Jasper. "I haven't had the chance to tell them about what happened on my arrival, Jasper."

Bella and Emmett looked at Alice curiously, wondering what she was talking about when Alice asked Jasper, "Why don't you join us for lunch?"

Bella smiled and nodded, "Yes, please do, Jasper."

Jasper nodded and chuckled. "All right, ladies."

With that the small group moved towards the hotel.

As they sat eating, laughing at the story of Alice's first day in Spoons Valley over a meal of fried chicken and all the fixings, people came in and out of the hotel restaurant.

At one point a group of three men in suits came into the restaurant and had a seat not too far off from them. It was obvious that he group of men commanded respect from the way that people greeted them and before their meal was over, one of a men came over to their table.

"Mr. Swan. Sheriff Whitlock. A pleasure as always. Who are your lovely companions?"

Emmett, who looked weary when the man approached, introduced Bella and Alice and then said, "Girls, this here is Mr. Aro Volturi. He runs the bank."

"A sincere pleasure to meet you, ladies." He bowed his head a bit and smiled at them before he turned his overly bright smile to Emmett. "Mr. Swan, I was hoping that you might have a moment to talk with my brothers and myself after your meal for a drink at the saloon."

Emmett frowned a bit, but nodded. "Certainly, Mr. Volturi, though I'm afraid I can't stay long. I have some errands to run before heading back to the ranch."

Aro grinned. "Of course. We know you and Mr. Mallory's time is valuable. He'll be at the meeting, too. I'll see you at the saloon after lunch. Good day, ladies, sherriff." And, with that he turned to join his brothers.

Jasper looked to Emmett. "What was that all about, Em?"

Emmett shook his head and frowned. "I don't know, Jasper, but if I had known that Mallory was going to be there, well, it's too late to get out of it now."

Jasper nodded and sighed as he stood up. "Well, I have to get back to the jailhouse. Ladies, it was a pleasure. Emmett, stop by and let me know what this was all about if you can."

Emmett nodded. "I'll stop by."

With that Jasper put his hat back on and headed out.

"Well, girls," Emmett said, "seems I have some unexpected business to attend to. Why don't you two make your way over to the general store and I'll meet up with you there." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. "This here's a list of the things Carmen says we need. You girls get whatever you need. Just tell Mr. Stanley to put it on my tab."

Alice grinned and snatched the scrap of paper away. "I'm sure we can manage."

He nodded and after leaving some money on the table he got up and left.


	19. Chapter 19

Emmett made his way towards the saloon, not looking forward to this meeting for several reasons. One, he had no idea what the Volutri brothers wanted to speak to him _and_ Mallory about. Two, he was going to run into Rosie.

Alice had only arrived a couple of days ago, and despite the fact that she was slightly annoying —she'd made him go to church for Pete's sake— he found that she was a feisty, kind, hard working little thing that would do well at the Big E. Problem was that he was already beginning to see her like a kid sister rather than a wife. Rosie was the one he wanted, but Rosie was the gal that he would never get. He would marry Alice. It was the right thing to do.

As he made his way into the saloon, he greeted several men he knew with a nod or a tip of his hat before he made his way to the table where the Volturi brothers were already sitting with Mallory. He had to hold back a frown as he noticed that James was with him, groping a saloon girl named Victoria who was sitting on his lap.

Emmett went to the bar and got himself a beer before he made his way to the table and sat in the only empty seat available. "Afternoon, gentlemen." As he settled his large frame into his chair, he let his eyes wander around the room for a moment and noticed a flash of blonde hair disappear towards the passageway that led to the staircase. Of course Rosie would be ignoring him. Looking back to the group he was sitting with he noticed Victoria watching him as she smirked and wiggled on James' lap.

"Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Swan. I know that you and Mr. Mallory are busy men and that your time is valuable, so we'll get to the chase, shall we?" Aro started. "As both of you may know, my brother Marcus has been working on bringing the railroad to Spoons Valley. This business venture has generated much interest with several railroad lines that are looking to expand their reach here in the west." Aro went on to describe some of the companies that had shown interest in bringing a railroad to their town.

Emmet listened quietly. So this was what it was all about, the railroad. He knew that the Volturi brothers had been pushing for it for a while. Hell, he'd even discussed the possibility with Jasper, Edward, Eleazar, and several other of his close friends and workers, and after all those discussions he knew it was something that he couldn't buy into and support. Yes, the railroad would bring more business and revenue to the town, but it would also bring a lot more people, would change the dynamics of how things run at the ranch, and affect some of the Indian tribes in the area. He knew those things didn't bother the Volturi or Mallory. They were interested in money and power.

Aro was finally drawing his little speech up to a close and coming to the reason why he had asked Emmett and Mallory to join him. "…So you see, gentlemen, the railroad companies that are willing to venture out in this direction want the support of both the Big E and Bar None Ranches. They want to insure that both of you will be using their lines as the main means of transporting your stock back East. This of course means that you could move the cattle faster, no longer having to go on long drives…"

Emmett interjected at this point. "Excuse me mayor, but I believe that Mallory and I know how the cattle industry works." He shook his head. "I'm not speaking for Mallory, just myself when I say that I don't know that this is the best direction to take at this time. The transporting of cattle over the railroad line is still a new idea and I've seen the way cattle are packed into cars. Hell, a good number of heads are lost along the way due to the poor conditions. Cattle get sick. Meat gets tainted. I just don't know that it's the right direction to go right now."

Caius, Aro's brother was giving him a death glare. "And, what of it? That won't affect the profit that you make, if anything you'll be making more money."

"It isn't always just about the money. Sometimes it's about doing what's right," Emmett replied. "I'm sorry, but right now I can't lend my support. If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have some business to attend to elsewhere." He moved to stand, leaving his half drunk beer on the table.

Aro smiled. "Of course, Mr. Swan. Hopefully we can discuss this matter and persuade you to change your mind, but at least weigh the options. This might be the best thing for you, especially now that your family is expanding."

Victoria perked up at hearing this, but it was James that spoke up. "Expanding?"

Aro chuckled a bit. "Yes, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Swan's lovely sister and fiancé this morning."

Victoria smirked at hearing that and James chuckled. Mallory looked at him with interest, but simply said, "Congratulations, Emmett."

Emmett only nodded, wondering at Mallory's silence through the meeting. "Thank you. Have a good day."

With a nod he left the table, heading to the stairs of the saloon. Upstairs he went to Rosie's door and hesitated a moment before taking off his hat and pressing his ear to it, hoping he wouldn't hear that she was with a customer. When he didn't hear anything he knocked gently and said, "Rosie? Rosie, you there? It's Emmett."

There was no answer and with a heavy heart he realized that she probably didn't want to talk to him. Pressing his forehead against the door he closed his eyes and whispered, "Please, Rosie." Still, there was nothing.

It was at that moment that Victoria and James came upstairs, James' arm around the fiery redhead's shoulders. Seeing him they both laughed, but it was James that spoke up. "Well, that there's pretty bad, Emmett. You have a fiancé at home and yet you're begging for a whore to spread her legs for you and she's won't even open up the door. Not even your money could get them onto their backs."

Emmett held in his temper and without a word he made his way towards the stairs, James and Victoria's laughter drifting down after him. As he made his way back outside of the saloon he took a deep breath, adjusted his hat on his head, and started to make his way down towards the general store in search of Bella and Alice. What he didn't notice was that from one of the upper windows, Rosie was looking down at him with tears streaming down her cheeks.


	20. Chapter 20

Bella and Alice had made their way from lunch at the hotel to the general store gaining more than a few curious stares along the way. Not very many newcomers came to Spoons Valley, after all. Bella was uncomfortable with the looks that they were getting, Alice didn't even seem to notice and just chattered away as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"We'll have to get some fabric for some split skirts for both of us. I'll have to learn to ride of course, though I am definitely _not_ letting Emmett get me on that donkey! A donkey! How ridiculous would that look?"

Bella just smiled at her and kept her head ducked so her face was hidden by the brim of her bonnet, not looking up until they made their way into the general store. Looking around she noticed it was a good sized place stocked with just about everything one would need. The store was the main place to buy things and while some people ordered from out east, it took a while for those things to arrive.

Alice tilted her head and looked around curiously when they walked in and Bella interpreted this as a look that said Alice wasn't pleased. She did smile brightly though as she approached the older looking gentleman standing behind the counter. "Good afternoon! I have a list of supplies here that Emmett Swan needs for the Big E. Could you possibly pull this together for me while we look around?"

The man smiled kindly and nodded. "Certainly, miss." He read over the list and went to the backroom to pull some crates to put the supplies in while Alice and Bella started to look around.

"Well," Alice said, "I guess it will do. I mean, it is a small town after all." Grabbing Bella's hand, Alice dragged her over to the section of the store that had a few bolts of fabric. "Hmm." Alice started going through the bolts. "Well, I suppose what we make you does have to be sturdy, but really, does it have to be so…drab?"

Bella chuckled. "I don't have to make a fashion statement while riding a horse, Alice." Alice gave her a pointed look. "Tell me, Bella," she said, "what did you wear to ride in Chicago?"

Bella blushed a bit. "Well, that was different. Chicago isn't the west. People here are more…simple."

"Only because they have to be, not because they want to be," Alice said pertly.

Bella could only chuckle.

Alice continued, "We'll make you some split skirts out of the brown and the blue I think. Maybe the green. Would it kill them to have fabric with any sort of pattern?" Alice went on about blouses and trim, things that had never really interested Bella.

Bella let her eyes wander around the store when she noticed a familiar figure walk in escorting a beautiful woman.

It was Edward.

Bella felt her heart start hammering and a bright blush crawl up her cheeks just as she felt Alice tug on her arm a bit. "Bella? Bella, are you listening to me?" Alice followed her gaze though and before Bella could stop her she was calling out, "Edward! Hello!"

Edward looked over, said something to his companion, and then he escorted her over to where Bella and Alice were. "Hello, ladies. I see you managed to drag Emmett into town. Did you get him to go to church after all?"

Alice grinned. "Of course I did. He was on his best behavior."

Bella took in the woman that was with Edward, noticing her wide hazel eyes and caramel colored hair and gave her a tentative smile. She really was lovely.

Edward laughed at Alice's words and looked down at his companions. "Ladies, may I introduce you to my aunt, Esme Cullen. Aunt Esme, this is Alice Brandon, Emmet's fiancée, and Bella Swan, his sister."

Esme smiled kindly and held her hand out, shaking both girls' hands in turn. "A pleasure to meet you both."

Alice grinned. "Nice to meet you, too!"

Bella gave her more of a shy smile. "Very nice to meet you, ma'am."

Esme smile. "Oh, please, call me Esme, both of you. How are you both settling in over at the Big E?"

As Alice started to talk to Esme about settling in at the ranch, Bella stole a glance at Edward and blushed again as she realized that he was staring at her. She felt herself turning red and she looked away again.

The conversation caught Bella's attention again as Alice told Esme, "You don't look old enough to be Edward's aunt."

Esme laughed at this. "Well, what a kind thing to say, but truth is I'm a few years older than this rascal." She lightly elbowed Edward who only smiled crookedly in return. "Truth is there was a big age different between me and my sister, Edward's mom. Edward and I practically grew up as brother and sister. He just calls me Aunt Esme to make me feel old," she teased.

Edward snickered at this. "That and she insisted that I couldn't tug at the pigtails of someone who I had to call aunt."

Esme just chuckled at this and looked back to the girls. "So, shopping for fabric I see."

Alice nodded and sighed. "Yes, but there doesn't seem to be much of a selection."

Esme leaned in a whispered conspiratorially, "That's because Jessica Stanley makes her father keep the prettier stuff in the back so she can have first grabs on it. But, Mr. Stanley is an old softy and you can usually get him to show you her secret stash if you're nice."

Alice's eyes gleamed and she whispered, "Show me?"

Esme laughed and without a word she slipped her arm from Edward's and led Alice off leaving Edward and Bella to stand awkwardly together.

It was Edward that finally broke the silence. "Have you had a good morning, Bella?"

Bella nodded. "Oh, yes, well, church was kind of a bore." She blushed. "I mean…it's just…"

Edward only laughed. "Well, yes. Reverend Newton is kind of a…boring individual." He shrugged. "Sorry, there's just no way to say that nicely. Watching paint dry is more exciting than sitting through one of his sermons in my opinion."

She stifled a laugh and smiled. "Your aunt seems like a nice lady, Edward. Do you have lots of family in town?"

A bit of a shadow seemed to pass over Edward's expression, but he managed a smile and shook his head. "No. I just have my Aunt Esme and her husband, my Uncle Carlisle. He's the town doc."

Bella nodded. "Well, it's good to have some family around. I was…by myself for a while before coming out here." She shivered a bit at the memory of the lonely weeks after her parents' deaths.

Edward noticed and replied softly, "Em's sure glad to have you."

She smiled at him. "I'm lucky to have him."

At this Edward nodded and snorted a bit, "Though he sure does overreact when it comes to you."

It was obvious that Edward was thinking about the beating he'd received at Emmett's hands and the false run-away horse story.

Bella smiled. "Yes, well, he's always been a bit overprotective.

Edward nodded and his look said that the thought that was a bit of an understatement. "Where is your brother anyhow?"

"I think he's over at the saloon."

At that several expressions crossed his face: shock, a frown, then anger. He thought that Emmett had had the gall to go see Rosie and leave Bella and Alice alone. Right when e was about to go and find Emmett to tell him off, Bella continued, "A Mr. Volturi came up to us at lunch and asked if they could meet there to discuss something."

Edward took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh as he took off his cowboy hat, ran his hand through his copper locks, and set it back on his head. "I see. Wonder what that's all about?"

Bell shook her head since she didn't know.

At that moment, Emmett came into the store and seeing Edward and Bella he walked over to them. "Hey. Where's Alice?"

Bella looked in the direction of the counter and Emmett followed her gaze and nodded. She could tell that he had something on his mind even as he asked, "You two give the list to Mr. Stanley?"

"Alice did," Bella replied.

He nodded and said distractedly, "Good. Good. Hey, Edward, you have a sec?"

Edward nodded. "Sure. I'll see you later, Bella."

Emmett turned to go then stopped, turned, and looked at Bella. "Uh, you and Alice take your time. I have to track down Jasper and ask him something."

Before Bella could speak Esme came up to them and said, "Well, hello, Emmett."

Emmett smiled at her and going over he gave Esme a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Esme."

Esme grinned at him. "Seems you and Edward have some business to attend to. Why don't you go on and I'll take the girls over to my place and have tea with them. You can pick them up there whenever you're done. I'm sure Mr. Stanley will hold your supplies till then." She looked over her shoulder where Alice was going through several bolts of fabric with Mr. Stanley. "I think your fiancée already charmed him into doing anything she wants."

Emmett just chuckled and nodded. "Thanks, Esme."

Leaning over he kissed Bella's forehead. "I'll see you at the Cullen's in a bit, Bells." And, with that, he turned to go.

Edward tipped his hat at Bella and gave her a crooked smile before he headed out after him.


	21. Chapter 21

Jasper was sitting in the jailhouse, his boots propped up on the desk in front of him as he leaned back in his chair. In his hand was a small handkerchief embroidered with red flowers. It was the same handkerchief that Alice had dropped in the jail cell when he'd first met her. He'd kept it in his pocket ever since then and every now and then he found himself just taking it out and looking at it as he thought about her.

After he'd dropped her at the Big E—and gotten thoroughly drunk in the process—he figured it wouldn't be long before he had her out of his system. Each time he'd run into her it'd get easier and easier till he just saw her like any of the other lady's that lived in town, but after having run into her this morning and having lunch with her, Emmett, and Bella, well, he was starting to see that that just wasn't the case. She was beautiful, feisty, kind, sweet…basically everything and anything he could ever want.

Sighing he ran his hand over his face in a tired manner even as he stuck the scrap of embroidered fabric back in his pocket. This was just no good.

Just then he heard a pair of footsteps on the wooden sidewalk leading up the jailhouse and he moved his feet off the desk and waited to see who it was. As the door opened and he saw Emmett walk in he felt a sense of shame at where his thoughts had been only moments before. He saw Edward follow Emmett in and stood up. "What's going on, fellas?"

Emmett sighed and pulled a seat up; Edward just leaned against the wall and was the one to answer Jasper, "Don't know. Emmett asked me to come with him. Says he needs to talk to us about something."

Jasper looked to Emmett and frowned. "This have to do with your meeting with the Volturi brothers and Mallory."

Edward frowned. "Mallory was at your meeting?"

Emmett nodded. "Yes. They wanted to talk about the possibility of bringing the railroad to Spoons Valley. Apparently the railroad companies won't consider coming out here unless they have my and Mallory's backing to use them for transporting cattle."

"What'd you say?" asked Jasper.

"I said no," sighed Emmett. "I said no and you both know the Volturi brothers don't like to hear no."

Edward frowned. "No. They don't."

"What tack do you think they're going to take?" Jasper asked.

Emmett just shook his head. He didn't know.

"They're not likely to leave it alone though," Edward added.

"No, they're not," Emmett agreed.

They all stayed quiet for a while. It was Jasper that finally broke the silence. "I'll keep an eye on things here in town. I'll let you both know if I see or hear anything."

"I'll tell my uncle to keep an ear out as well," Edward said.

"Guess that's all we can do for now." Emmett shook his head. "I don't like this. Mallory was too quiet at his meeting and that always makes me uncomfortable. He's planning something. I know it. I just have no idea what. Now I have to watch out for both the Volturi brothers and Mallory. I'm being attacked on different fronts and I don't like it."

"We got your back, Em," Edward said quietly.

Jasper just nodded in agreement.

Emmett had been quiet on the ride home and was quiet after dinner. Alice didn't seem to notice as she chattered on about their visit to town, church, and her plans for making dresses for Bella and herself. Bella was worried about Emmett, sensing that something was wrong, but she didn't want to ask what was up and just made a comment now and then so Alice wouldn't think that she was talking to herself.

After dinner Alice made her way to the parlor where she was beginning to cut the fabric for Bella's new clothes and Bella watched as Emmett made her way tiredly upstairs after saying goodnight to both of them.

Making her way out onto the front porch Bella sat down on the front steps to the porch, looking at the stars. They were so clear here compared to Chicago. After sitting there a while she heard someone clear their throat and she looked over to see Edward walking up to where she was sitting on the front steps.

"Evening, Bella."

"Hello, Edward."

"Mind if I join you?" he asked and waited till she nodded and moved over a bit before he sat next to her. "I, uh, found something for you."

She turned and looked at him curiously and it was then that she noticed that he was carrying the small kitten she had seen in the barn that first day they met wiggling in his hands.

"Oh!" She leaned towards him to peer closer at the tiny black kitten with green eyes that was peering up at her. Edward carefully handed the kitten over. "I think he's the same little fella you saw the other day."

Taking the kitten she held it close and smiled as it snuggled up against her and started to purr. Grinning brightly at Edward she whispered, "Thank you, Edward."

"You're welcome, Bella. He seems to like you. What you going to name him?"

"Twilight. I think that's a good name for a black cat."

Edward chuckled and leaning over he scratched the top of the kitten's head. "I think it suits him."They were sitting so close that they could feel each other's body heat. Bella was glad for the darkness since it hid her blush. Looking up at the stars again, she whispered softly, "It's so beautiful out here."

Edward was looking directly at her and whispered back, "Yes, beautiful." He turned away before she could catch him looking and moved his green eyes to gaze at the stars. "You settling in all right, Bella? I know that this all must be very new to you. I don't know what your life in Chicago must have been like, but I'm sure it was very different."

Bella smiled at that and nodded. "Very different." She was quiet a moment before continuing, "I like it here. Carmen is wonderful, so is Alice…" So was he, but of course she didn't say that out loud. "I'm a little worried about Emmett, though."

"Worried?"

"Yes," she sighed. "I know I haven't been around him for such a long time, but sometimes he just seems so sad and I don't know what it is. Then tonight he just seemed sad and worried. I wish he'd open up to me, but I know he probably doesn't want me to worry."

Edward sat there quietly for a moment. "Emmet's going to be all right, Bella. He has friends to make sure of that."

She turned to him and smiled then and he gave her a crooked smile back.

"He's lucky to have a friend like you, Edward."

He chuckled. "Well, I think we're both lucky. We'd have killed each other by now if we weren't friends."

Bella laughed softly.

After that they sat there in comfortable silence for a while as she continued to cuddle her new kitten. It was some time before Edward broke the silence and even then his voice was barely above a whisper, "Bella?"

She turned to look at him without saying anything.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out for a ride tomorrow. I know Emmet's been busy and all, but I thought you might want to see a bit more of the ranch." He wondered if he sounded as nervous as he felt.

Bella smiled and responded in a soft voice, "I'd like that very much. Thank you, Edward."

He gave her another crooked grin. "See you after breakfast then? Carmen can probably pack us a good lunch since there's so much to see."


	22. Chapter 22

When Bella had gone back inside the house Alice dragged her into the parlor and started measuring, tucking, and pinning while Bella had just stood there with a dreamy smile on her face. When Alice had finally asked her what it was all about Bella had blushed and tried to keep quiet, but finally Alice got the truth out of her. Instead of making a big to-do about it, Alice had just smiled and continued her work even as she told Bella to head on up to bed.

When Bella woke bright and early the next morning she was surprised to find a new split skirt waiting at the foot of her bed. The material was a deep maroon color and the fabric of the pockets on the front were cream colored with matching maroon stripes. On top of them was a note.

_I couldn't let you go riding without the proper clothing. I wanted to make it more spiffy, but this will have to do on short notice. Wear it with the cream colored blouse I saw in your closet. –Alice_

Bella knew that Alice must have stayed up all night working on the skirt and while she felt a bit bad about that she also couldn't help but be excited.

Hopping out of bed she quickly washed up at the washbasin in her room before she got dressed and pinned up her hair in an elaborate knot, letting a few curls fall around her face. She didn't know how Alice had done it, but the skirt fit perfectly.

Making her way downstairs she went into the kitchen and smiled at Carmen who was busy serving Emmett a huge breakfast of steak, eggs, potatoes, and biscuits. "Morning, Carmen. Morning, Emmett." Leaning over she gave her brother a kiss on the cheek before she reached across him, grabbed a biscuit, and moved to sit down.

Carmen smiled at her. "Morning, _m'ija_. Do you want me to make you a plate of food?"

"Oh, no, thank you! A biscuit will do. I don't need as much food as my big brother here." Bella replied as she winked at Emmett. "Do we have any jam?"

Emmett arched a brow as he took a sip of his coffee. "What has you so chipper this morning, Bells? And, what are you doing up so early for that matter?"

Bella shrugged and thanked Carmen as she set a pot of jam in front of her.

Carmen continued bustling around the kitchen when Bella asked between bites. "Carmen, do you think you could possibly pack up a lunch for me and Edward to take out on the ranch today?"

Emmett paused in the act of lifting a forkful of potatoes to his mouth and set his fork down again. "You're going out with Edward today."

Bella continued to eat her biscuit without looking at him and nodded as she finished the bite of food in her mouth. "Yes, Edward asked if he could show me around today."

Emmet frowned and just sat there, looking at her.

She could tell he wasn't happy, but she just gave him a smile and looked back to Carmen.

"Of course I can, _m'ija_. I'll pack some things that you both can easily carry in your saddle bags." She rolled her eyes at the expression on Emmett's face and went around muttering under her breath in Spanish as she started to do just that.

"I'll need to borrow a horse if that's all right, Bear," Bella said as she wiped a bit of jam off her fingers with her napkin.

Emmett nodded, still frowning. "I'll have Tyler saddle one up for you before we head out." With that he continued to eat his breakfast in silence and Bella began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Emmett was never quiet and she'd already been worrying since last night.

"If you don't want me to go I won't, Bear," she said softly.

He looked up at her with surprise and then he gave her a bit of a smile. "It's fine, Bells." He stood up, leaving half of his breakfast uneaten and leaning over he kissed her forehead. "Thanks for the chow, Carmen."

With that he put on his hat and left through the screen door to the back porch.

Carmen picked up his plate with a sigh and just shook her head. She saved the steak that was left and threw the rest in the slop bucket. Bella frowned and after a while she broke the silence in the kitchen by asking, "Is he all right?"

Carmen smiled at her. "I'm sure he's fine, _m'ija_. _El Patron_ just has a lot on his mind. So, Edward is taking you out to see the _rancho_? That's nice. It's a big place. I'm sure he'll take you to see some of the herds and landmarks. It's a beautiful place really."

Bella nodded and continued to nibble at her biscuit, still worried about Emmet. "Oh, before I forget, there's a little kitten that Edward gave me last night. I didn't know if it'd be all right to bring it into the house or not. Edward put him under a crate on the front porch so he wouldn't run off again."

"Oh, it's fine, _m'ija_. Cats around here tend to be good at catching _ratones_. It's been a while since we had one that came in and out of the house. It'll be good to have one again. I'll bring him in and give him some cream in a bit."

Bella smiled at that. "Thanks, Carmen."

A moment later she looked up as she heard someone coming up the back porch and she smiled brightly when she saw Edward, who smiled crookedly back.

"Morning, Carmen, Bella."

"_Buenos dais, Eduardo_," Carmen said with a smiled.

"You ready to go? Your brother just told Tyler to saddle up his grey for you," Edward asked.

Bella just nodded and watched as Carmen handed over a sack of food to Edward.

"Thanks, Carmen," he said.

"Yes, thank you," Bella added.

Edward stood to one side, letting Bella head out first and he chuckled as he heard Carmen call out after them, "Have her home in time for supper!"

They had been riding for a short time in silence before Bella finally asked. "Um, Edward, where are we going exactly?"

He had been lost in his thoughts — mostly of how good she looked riding — when her question snapped him out of it. "Oh, well, I figured we could ride out to see one of the herds. I'm supposed to check on them this morning and I figured you hadn't seen any of the cattle yet. They should be right close to a pond that's out on the East side of the property and I thought we could have lunch there since there some nice shade from a couple of trees."

She smiled at him and nodded. "That sounds nice actually."

He smiled at her and looked over at her again. "You sure do ride well, Bella. I don't know how I didn't notice it before when I came swooping in to rescue you."

She laughed. "Thank you. Actually I've been riding for about five years, since I was thirteen, about a year after Emmett came out here. Just something I wanted to do after all his letters about his life out here."

He smiled. "So you've been at it a while then. Good to know. Did you have your own horse back east?"

They continued to talk for a while as they rode in the direction that Edward led them, talking about her life in Chicago and the day to day running of the ranch. It was about an hour later that Bella saw the herd. From a distance it had just looked like a smudge of black and brown on the horizon, once they got closer she was surprised by how many of them there actually were. In awe she asked, "How many are there?"

"Oh, this is one of the smaller herds, has about a hundred head or so of cattle. The bigger herds are located on other parts of the ranch," Edward replied.

"You mean…there's more?" she asked with wide eyes.

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "Lots more. The Big E is one of the main suppliers to several cities out east, including Chicago. The only ranch that comes close is the Bar None, which borders the Big E on the south west side. Even then Mallory only has about half the number of cattle that we have here."

"How does one go about taking care of all these cattle?" Bella asked in awe as they began to ride around the large herd.

"Well, you only met some of the Big E employees at the branding the other night. We have some fellas that stay out on the range with the larger herds, though they switch out now and again to get a break."

She nodded and continued to ride with him, finding everything he had to say fascinating as he continued to explain the way the ranch worked, but she despite this fascination, she kept getting distracted as she watched him speak. There was no doubt that she found him attractive, more so than any other men that she'd met.


	23. Chapter 23

Before Edward had gone into the house to collect Bella so they could go out on their ride he had passed Emmett who was on his way to the stables. Emmett had simply said, "Come with me."

Edward had some idea what it was that Emmett wanted to speak to him about and sighing he followed him out to the stables where Emmett told Tyler to saddle up his grey horse with the extra saddle that they kept.

Edward stood there, waiting for Emmett to say something and then with a sad, resigned sigh, all he told Edward was, "She's my sister." And, then Emmett had just walked away, leaving Edward standing there. Edward knew the implication of the small statement. He and Emmett had become as close as brothers over the last six years since he'd arrived at Spoons Valley, but Bella was his flesh and blood and Emmett would do anything for her and do anything to protect her.

As he and Bella sat under the shade of a tree by the pond located near the herd, he watched her and he knew that by inviting her out today he had crossed a line with Emmett that he just couldn't take back. But, truth was, he didn't want to take it back. Yes, she was beautiful, but talking to her he also realized she was kind and intelligent. In his mind, she was perfect…despite her clumsiness.

Bella, feeling that she was being watched, looked up at him and smiled. "Looks like Carmen packed quite a bit."

He laughed at that. "She thinks it's her job to fatten us up like hogs being fattened up getting ready for the slaughter."

She laughed at that. "Well, Emmett does eat like he has a hollow leg so it's no surprise she tries to overfeed everyone."

He chuckled and reached for a piece of bread and took a bite from it. After he'd finished the bite he said, "Yeah, I remember the first time I ate a meal with him. I started hiding my food after that. It was like he couldn't stop eating everything in sight."

Bella laughed. "I used to hide sweets because he would finish them all if I didn't. Well, at least I did until I got ants in my room then our mother wasn't very happy."

He snickered and watched as she started to eat. He listened as she talked a bit about her family, telling him about how it had been growing up with a brother ten years her senior and about her parents. He was interested in what she had to say, but at the same time he was beginning to feel a sense of dread, knowing that she'd probably want to know more about him.

The inevitable did occur as she said, "Tell me a bit about your family."

Lifting his hat he ran his free hand through his hair and sighed. She was already beginning to recognize this as a nervous gesture. He didn't look at her and simply said, "You met my Aunt Esme."

Bella nodded. "Yes, she's a wonderful woman."

He nodded and added. "She and my Uncle Carlisle are my family."

She waited for him to say more and when he didn't, she said, "And, what about…"

But, he interrupted her and stood up. "We should be heading back. I'll go get the horses."

He walked off, leaving her feeling a bit stunned and a tiny bit hurt at the fact that he didn't want to open up to her. She gathered the blanket they'd been sitting on and packed up the linens they'd borrowed from Carmen in the sack she'd given them. As she reached the horse she'd been using she stuffed the sack in her saddle bag and started to climb on. Edward came over to help and she moved away from him.

"I can manage. Thank you, Edward."

She got on the horse without any trouble and looked off, pretending to be interested in the herd, so she missed the sigh and the slight frown that crossed his face before he went to climb onto his own horse.

This time as they rode back to the homestead, it was uncomfortable silence and when the buildings were finally in view in the distance, she dug her heels into her mount's side and took off towards them in a stead run, leaving him behind.

Alice wished she were a knitter. At that moment she wanted nothing more than a long set of knitting needles so she could stick them in her ears, go deaf, and stop the incessant chatter that was filling the parlor.

Usually she wasn't bothered by chatter boxes. In some instances, as was the case with Carmen, she even found the chatter to be amusing; otherwise, she could usually drown out most chatter. This woman was making it impossible though and each time she cackled or reached out to grasp Alice's arm to emphasize one of her points, Alice would pray to God, the Virgin Mary, and any other religious icon from St. Peter to St. Joan for patience.

She'd been surprised when Jessica had shown up at their door with Reverend Newton in tow and if she had known what she was in store for, she would have hidden rather than let them in. The reverend explained that he had come to welcome Alice and Bella — or newcomers to his flock, as he had put it — and that Miss. Stanley had asked to come along so she could get to know her "new friends." As it was, they'd been there a couple of hours with Jessica going on and on about Alice's and Bella's clothes at church, the beauty of the parlor, as well as Spoons Valley gossip that Alice wasn't in the least bit interested in.

Reverend Newton wasn't any help either. He would only nod now and then as Jessica said something, which seemed to be enough to encourage the rather verbose girl into saying more. Truth was Alice could see the far off dazed look in his eyes. It seemed that he'd been treated to this type of performance by Miss Stanley before and he knew just how to deal with it.

Alice on the other hand had only been able to let her mind drift only so much because in every instance when she didn't respond in a manner that was to Jessica's liking the girl would grab her arm or lightly poke at her to get her attention.

She was close to her breaking point with her guests when Emmett walked into the house, his footsteps muffled by the rugs on the floor. Jessica and the Reverend's backs were to the parlor entrance so it was only Alice that noticed when he passed by, saw them, got a horrified look on his face, and started to sneak off again. He didn't even seem scared of Alice's death glare as he started to walk off so he looked appalled when Alice interrupted Jessica, "Oh, Emmett! There you are. Come say hello to the Reverend and Miss Stanley and sit for a bit."

Jessica turned in her seat with a big grin and the Reverend stood up to say hello. Somehow Emmett managed to force a smile as he came in to join them. "Miss Stanley, Reverend, what a surprise."

As soon as Emmett settled his large frame into a chair, Alice popped up out of her own seat. "Will the three of you excuse me? I have to go check on something with Carmen."

Emmett just stared at her, mouth open in shock, as she hurried out of the parlor and Jessica's voice started up again.

Making her way into the kitchen she took a couple of deep breaths and then wrinkled her nose as she realized that she could still hear Jessica's voice. Trying to escape it she quietly made her way through the screen door onto the back porch. She'd only been standing there a moment when she noticed Bella coming up from the direction of the stables.

"Hey, Bella. You're back earlier than I expected. You all right?" Alice asked.

Bella nodded and smiled a bit. "I'm fine, Alice. Who's wagon is up front?"

Alice sighed a bit and looked over her shoulder. "Reverend Newton and Jessica Stanley decided to stop by for a visit with you and me."

"Oh. I should go say hello then," Bella said as she started to climb the steps.

"NO!" Alice shrieked and then she added much more quietly. "No! It's…just no. Come on. Let's go for a walk."

Bella looked at her curiously but nodded and let Alice lead her off.


	24. Chapter 24

Edward worked for the Big E, but like all the workers there, he was free to come and go as he pleased as long as he performed his duties. Usually he stayed at the Big E bunkhouse or out on the range with the herds with the exceptions of Sundays when he went to go see his aunt and uncle in town. The afternoon after his ride with Bella he headed into town without even thinking about it and went to his aunt and uncle's place. He took care of his horse, unsaddling it and making sure it had fresh hay, before he made his way into the front end of the house where his uncle had his office and his exam room.

As he walked in it just so happened that Lauren Mallory was coming out and he had to stop himself from grimacing as he moved to one side to let her pass by, but he should have known that it wasn't going to be that easy to get her to leave.

"Edward! What a pleasure to see you! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Lauren said as she stopped in front of him instead of leaving.

"Miss Mallory," was all he said in response.

"How have you been?" she asked.

"I'm doing fine. Thank you kindly for asking," he responded.

"How are things at the Big E? My father keeps saying that you should come and work for us despite all that happened in the past…"

At that moment she was interrupted as Carlisle came out of his office and said, "Hello, Edward. Come on back."

Lauren frowned a bit and took this as her cue that she should go, though she obviously wasn't very happy about it. She briefly rested her hand on Edward's arm and he had to stop himself from flinching.

"Goodbye, Edward. Hopefully we can see each other again soon." She turned then to look at Carlisle. "Dr. Cullen." With that she left.

Edward let out a sigh of relief and Carlisle sighed. "Sorry about the Edward. I didn't realize you were here till I heard her talking. Come on back. I'll make us some tea."

Carlisle led Edward through the door that led to the living quarters in the back of the house and made his way to the kitchen where he pulled down some tea cups from one of the shelves, but instead of putting the tea kettle on the stove he pulled a bottle of liquor from the very back of one of the cabinets and poured some in each cup.

"You know, that doesn't trick Aunt Esme, even if you do drink it out of a teacup," Edward smiled a bit.

"Oh, I know," Carlisle replied, "but she likes pretending that I don't drink and I like pretending she doesn't know that I do."

"Wouldn't it help if you took the tea kettle out for appearance's sake then?" Edward asked.

"Too much trouble," Carlisle responded. He chuckled and put one of the filled up teacups in front of Edward before he sat across from him. "What brings you by, son?"

Though he looked young for his age, Carlisle was actually ten years older than his wife which made him a good fifteen years older than Edward. From the first time that he'd met him, Edward had liked Carlisle and had looked up to the man as a father figure.

When Edward didn't answer right off and just sat there, drinking from his cup Carlisle continued, "Does this have to do with that young lady that your aunt keeps bringing up to me?"

"Bella?" Edward asked in surprise.

Carlisle smiled a bit. "I guess it does since I didn't mention which young lady. What's on your mind, Edward?"

Edward sighed and looked at the liquor in his teacup. "Well, I…like her. I mean I really like her, it's not like before with Tanya, you know? It's just…different." He frowned. "I want to spend time with her. It's not that I'm obligated to in any way. I just, I feel more like myself around her, but…"

When he didn't continue, Carlisle prompted him, "But?"

"She wants to know about my past and I don't know that I'm ready to share that with her yet."

"Ah," Carlisle said in response.

"I just don't want her feeling pity for me," Edward shrugged and down the rest of the contents of his teacup.

"What happened really isn't a reflection on you, not the thing with your family or what happened with Tanya. In fact, I think it shows strength of character." Carlisle continued, "So what'd you say when she asked you about your family?"

Edward frowned. "I didn't say anything. I just…I walked off."

"Well, I don't know that that was the right approach there, Edward."

Edward nodded. "So, what do I do, Uncle C?"

"You're asking _me_ for advice with women? Son, you must be desperate. It took your Aunt Esme practically clocking me over the head with a frying pan and dragging me down the aisle for me to get where I am."

Edward laughed a bit.

"All kidding aside though," Carlisle said, "you can't just ignore the problem and hope it goes away. If you're not ready to tell her that's fine, but you have to let her k now that you're not ready to talk about it. Let her know that you don't know when you'll be ready, but that you'll tell her eventually. You're going to have to let her know after all if you want this relationship with her to go further."

Edward frowned and nodded. "She's not happy with me right now. I messed it up…again."

Carlisle snickered a bit, but covered it up with his teacup. "Yes, well, that's going to keep on happening. I mess things up with your Aunt Esme every day. Hopefully you two can just get to the point where the making up is the fun part."

Edward made a bit of a face at what Carlisle was hinting at which only made his uncle laugh. "Grovel, boy. It's the best advice I can give, just grovel." And, with that Carlisle poured him some more "tea".

Alice and Bella had walked out towards the barn and were peering through the fence that penned in the animals as Bella explained what had happened with Edward.

"I just don't know, Alice. It's like he wants to get to know me better and wants to spend time with me, but then when I try to do the same he pushes me away. I don't understand it one bit."

Alice frowned a bit and crossed her arms on one of the lower rungs of the fence and rested her chin on her forearms. "Well, Bella, not everyone is so open about their past, you know? It probably isn't that he doesn't want to share, it just might not be the most comfortable thing for him to talk about and maybe he just doesn't want to scare you off."

Bella frowned. "I talked about things that were uncomfortable for me. And, he…he wouldn't scare me off."

Alice shrugged. "Everyone is different. Just try to get to know him and give him space."

"How am I supposed to do that," Bella asked.

"Well, you said he got all huffy when you asked about his past, so don't ask about his past. Talk about what's going on in the here and now. You said you two were getting along fine when you were talking about the ranch and other things. Seems like if you avoid talking about his family you'll be fine."

Bella nodded and sighed.

Just then Alice gasped and grabbed Bella's arm and started to drag her off again as she hissed, "They're leaving!"

Bella looked over her shoulder as Alice pulled her towards the back of the house and she could hear Jessica's voice drifting back to them from the front of the house. Apparently it seemed she was leaving along with the reverend.

"Alice, I didn't get to ask, but who'd you leave Reverend Newton and Miss Stanley with?"

Alice grinned. "With your brother!"

Bella blinked in surprise and then giggled a bit at that.

As they moved up the back steps they heard movement inside the house and then they heard Emmett bellow out, "ALICE!"

Carmen poked her head out the back screen door leading to the kitchen and whispered, "Run, _niñas_, run! _El Patron _looks like _el Diablo_ himself!" ["Run, girls, run! The Boss looks like the devil himself!"]

Bella held back, eyes going wide, and it was actually Alice that kept pulling her forward. "Oh, Carmen. I'm not scared of him!"

Alice and Bella came into the kitchen just as Emmett came in. To say that he looked unhappy would have been a severe understatement.

He just stood there, glaring at Alice, turning redder and redder with each passing moment as if the words inside him were trapped and at any minute they were just going to blow. "You…you left me!" he managed to get out in a strangled voice.

"Yes. Yes, I did," Alice said in a pert tone. "I left you for twenty minutes."

"You…you left me with those horrible people!" Emmett's tone made it sound as if he had been left with evil incarnate.

"Well, I had to put up with them for three _hours_, Emmett. You're lucky I didn't go running from the house and all the way back to Mississippi!"

Carmen and Bella just stood to one side, their heads going back and forth as they watched the interaction with mouths slightly agape.

Emmett didn't respond at first, but then he just roared, "ALICE!"

"I'm not sorry for it, Emmett!" Sighing Alice went up to him. For a moment it looked like Carmen wanted to snatch her away as if she were watching a baby doe approach a bear. Alice tilted her head back to look up at him and she said, "Look here. You and I are going to be married. Marriage means for better or for worse and I'm going to try my best to be a good wife to you, that means when you suffer I'll shoulder some of the suffering with you to help ease the burden, but I'll expect you'll do the same for me. Now, this was a simple little matter…"

Emmett interrupted in a horrified voice, "She was talking about dresses and lace…"

Alice held up her hand to keep him from continuing. "It was a simple little matter, even though they are a trying pair to be around. I was with them for _three hours_. I knew that leaving them alone with you would mean they would leave that much sooner. Jessica and Reverend Newton didn't want to visit with you after all. If I had stayed in there with you they probably would have stayed all through dinner."

Emmett looked horrified at the thought.

"See? I had my reasons for leaving you with them; though I'm sorry you had to go through that." She wrinkled her nose and added again, "Three _hours_, Emmett."

Emmett's color had gone back to normal now and he gave Alice a sympathetic look and patted her shoulder light. "I'm real sorry, Alice."

Bella stood there wondering how this had ended up with Emmett apologizing to Alice. Carmen was also speechless.


	25. Chapter 25

Over the next several days things were busy at the ranch. Emmett was always off somewhere and Bella and Alice were lucky if they managed to see him at breakfast or dinner. Bella and Alice both tried to help Carmen out as much as possible with her duties and since there were three people to do the work now instead of just one that left time for other things. Bella was picking things up quickly around the ranch and had already learned a lot more than she expected.

Alice filled up Bella's time with making dresses and embroidery. She came to realize that Alice was better than most of the dressmakers she'd encountered in Chicago and Alice was tickled pink when Bella told her.

Bella had seen Edward from a distance now and again when she was helping out around the homestead, but he'd always either been riding off or looked hesitant to approach her.

On Saturday afternoon she was out near the chicken coop by the barn scattering some feed for the hens when she heard someone walking up behind her. Turning she was a bit surprised to see Edward and she gave him a hesitant smile before she went back to her task, figuring he was just passing by.

"I see you're getting the hang of things around here," he said as he came up beside her.

Bella smiled at him a bit and shrugged, "Trying to anyway."

They went silent a moment and then both of them spoke at the same time. "Edward, I…" "Look, Bella…"

"Go on," he said with a bit of a smile.

"Well," Bella said, "I'd…I'd like to apologize."

Edward looked confused. "Apologize for what?"

She sighed and looking away she continued to scatter the last of the feed for the chickens. "I was prying where I shouldn't have."

He shook his head. "No, Bella, I should be the one apologizing. There are just some things, well, that I'm not comfortable talking to you about yet. I'd…um, like to share those things with you eventually. It's just I'd appreciate it if you could give me some time is all."

Bella smiled at him and nodded. "I can do that."

He gave her a crooked smile in response. "I was wondering if...," but before he could finish what he was saying, Alice was coming up to them.

"Hello, Edward. How are you doing this afternoon?" Alice asked with a bright smile.

Edward smiled in response. "Hello, Alice. I'm doing just fine, thank you. Yourself?"

"Oh, I'm just fine, thank you. I wanted to come over to see if you were going to come to church with us tomorrow."

Unlike Emmett, Edward didn't look horrified by the idea, but he did smile and shake his head. "No, I'm sorry, Alice, but I usually help my aunt and uncle with some things around their house on Sunday mornings. Though, I was just about to ask Bella if you all would like to come to my aunt's for lunch after the service. She asked that I extend the invitation, but I haven't had the chance to ask till now."

"Oh," Alice said with a smile. "We'd love to come. That'll be lovely, won't it, Bella?"

Bella smiled and nodded.

"Good. I'll let her know in the morning. If you'll excuse me ladies I have some things to take care of." He grinned and walked off.

Bella smiled as she watched him walk away and Alice just chuckled to herself as she took in Bella's smile.

"So I take it things are better between the two of you now?" Alice asked.

Bella smiled and blushed. "It's getting there."

"Good," Alice responded.

"Does Emmett know we're going to church tomorrow, Alice?"

Alice grinned brightly. "Sure does. Just so happens he has some business to take care of at in town and I made sure he put it off till Sunday."

Bella and Alice both laughed.

"I can't say what you did in church, Emmett! We're eating in polite company!" Alice exclaimed at lunch the next day. "It was completely mortifying though!"

Carlisle, Esme, Edward, and Bella just looked amused by the exchange as they sat eating lunch at the Cullen's.

"Well, it ain't as if I did it on purpose, Alice!" Emmett replied.

Bella was trying so hard not to laugh and just concentrated on the food on her plate. When Edward leaned over and whispered, "What'd he do?" Bella could only bite her lips together and shake her head to keep from laughing.

Curiosity wasn't only eating away at Edward, it seemed the Esme and Carlisle also wanted to know what was going on.

"You don't have to be polite on my account, Alice," Esme said. "I'm a doctor's wife. Trust me when I say that all sorts of things have come up in conversation at the dinner table."

Carlisle nodded. "It's true."

Alice took a deep breath and said, "Reverend Newton was in a dramatic pause in the middle of his sermon, well, perhaps not a _dramatic _pause, but a pause none the less. I didn't realize Emmett had fallen asleep next to me and…he…had a little issue."

Bella had lifted her napkin to her lips and her shoulders shook as she tried to hold in her laughter.

"Issue?" Edward pressed.

"I farted," Emmett stated plainly with a frown.

Alice just frowned and nodded next to him.

Bella was still hiding behind her napkin and shaking with unreleased laughter. Edward's eyes widened. Esme's lips twitched.

Carlisle just looked at Emmett as if he hadn't heard correctly and then he was finally the one that broke the silence. Clearing his throat he said, "Well, I have a tonic that just might be able to help with that."

Edward let out the tiniest of laughs and that was enough to set Bella off and they both started laughing loudly together. They were immediately joined by Esme and Carlisle was suspiciously coughing into his hand. The only ones that didn't seem in the least bit amused were Alice and Emmett.

"I told you I shouldn't be allowed in a church, Alice," Emmett muttered.

Alice sighed and shook her head. He wasn't getting out of it gas or no gas.

"It's all right, Emmet." Alice said as she patted Emmett's hand. "We'll just have to make sure that Carmen doesn't serve you any beans for dinner on Saturdays."

They all started laughing after that and they had a good time during the rest of the meal.

After dinner Carlisle excused himself since he had a patient to check on and Emmett asked Edward to go with him to take care of whatever business matter he had needed to come to town for.

Bella and Alice helped Esme clear the table and do the dishes. Esme had protest of course, but as usual, Alice was a force to be reckoned with. When they were done cleaning up Esme suggested that they go to the general store since both she and Alice needed some sewing needles and thread. Bella had no interest in going, but she accompanied them nonetheless, not wanting them to feel obligated to change their plans on her account.

While at the large store Bella wandered about just looking at random things. While looking at the small selection of books behind the counter near the front entrance to the store, she felt as if she was being watched and she looked up and around till her eyes fell on a man staring at her from across the street. It took her a moment to place him, but she realized it was the same man that she'd seen talking to Mr. Mallory the same day as her arrival. What had Jasper called him? Her brows drew together as she tried to remember his name. James. Yes, that was it. His name was James.

She realized he was still watching her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable and she moved back, further inside of the store to stand next to Esme and Alice.


	26. Chapter 26

A few days after "the incident" at church —as Alice insisted on calling it— things were settled into a routine at the ranch. Carmen found her work easier with Bella and Alice's help and the women had more time to make patterns and clothing in the evening. Alice really was a wizard with a needle and thread and Bella was learning a lot from her about dressmaking.

Emmett would usually be gone most of the day and come home for supper. Soon they were taking their meals as a family of sorts with not only Emmett, Alice, and Bella in attendance, but usually Edward, Carmen, and Eleazar would join them as well. Though Eleazar was the silent type, Alice and Bella began to appreciate his strong, silent presence and it was obvious that why Carmen loved him so much. He was quiet, but kind, thoughtful, and wise. But, despite his silent presence, even he laughed more than he ever had at the dinner table. Everyone enjoyed the banter between Emmett and Alice — he was usually trying to figure out ways to skip going to church and she always thwarted those efforts — and Bella and Edward got to know each other better. They began to feel easy in each other's presence and one night after dinner Bella found herself sitting out on the front porch step with Edward again.

At first they just looked at the stars, listening to the muffled sounds of people moving around in the house behind him along with the various noises that filled the night air. After a while it was Edward that finally spoke.

"Thank you, Bella…"

She turned and looked at him curiously. "What are you thanking me for, Edward?"

"Well, you…you and Alice, you're turning this place into a home is all." He looked suddenly embarrassed by the confession. "I mean, it's just different is all."

She smiled at him and shook her head a bit. "You don't have to thank me. I think, well, I think it's just the way things are supposed to be." She bowed her head, looking at her hands on her lap, and blushed a bit as she felt him watching her. "I was talking to Alice the other day and she said that family isn't just the people that we're related to, family is the people you love and care about, the people you want to make happy, protect, and spend time with. The people here at the Big E are my family now, not just Emmett."

He smiled at that. "Alice is a smart gal. Course, we all knew that. Emmett was in trouble the moment she saw his advertisement in that paper." He chuckled and Bella laughed softly behind him.

"I wonder when they'll get married," she mused aloud.

Edward shrugged. "God knows. Emmett said he was leaving it up to her."

Bella nodded, neither of them mentioning the fact that neither Emmett nor Alice seemed in much of a rush to tie the knot.

After a moment of silence, Edward finally spoke again. "I'm heading out tomorrow for a couple of days to check on some of the men that are with some of the herds at the outer regions of the ranch."

"How long will you be gone?" she asked quietly, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"I'm usually out for about two weeks, sometimes a bit more if the men need help with something," he replied. He was also disappointed. He had been hoping to spend more time with her. Courting was something that was new to him and he was pretty sure he wasn't going about it the right way, but he definitely knew that he had to be with her in order to be doing it, not out on the range somewhere.

"Oh," she replied and then she turned to him and placed her hand lightly on his arm. He felt the warmth of her touch right through his shirt and it was all he could do to stop himself from pulling her into his arms and kissing her right there. Instead he just looked at her, his green eyes locking with her brown ones as she spoke softly. "You'll be careful."

Her concern for him caused him to smile at her and he nodded. "Always am."

"Good. I'll see you when you get back then." She seemed hesitant about something and then she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she stood up and rushed inside.

As the screen door closed behind him, Edward just sat there with a goofy grin on his face.

People are stupid. Fortunately for Rosalie stupid people always thought that prostitutes were even stupider than they were. Most men didn't realize that women like Rosie were shrewd, sharp individuals because life had forced them to use their bodies as well as their minds just to go on living.

Everyone assumed that just because Emmett had a fiancée and hadn't come to see her in a couple of weeks that she hated him now. They were fools. She loved Emmett Swan. She would always love him.

Even when he stopped loving her.

She knew it wouldn't be long before his feelings for her changed, if they hadn't already. That didn't mean that she wouldn't help him if she could. And, though it might not seem like it to an outsider, she was helping him with what she was doing now.

She really hated having Mr. Mallory as a customer. He was large — and small — in all the wrong places. He was also inconsiderate and always left her with a few bite marks and bruises, but he paid well…and he let his tongue wag when they were done.

She felt her body jerk with each thrust that he took into her, moaning as she felt his large, meaty fingers digging into the flesh of her hips. The idiot took this as a sign that she was enjoying what he was doing to her and he started to move faster and harder into her as he grunted and groaned with each thrust of his hips. The sound of his flesh slapping around was almost sickening to her, but it was something she was used to.

It only took a while longer and then she felt him release himself into her with a loud moan. At least the man was quick about it. He hadn't even taken the time to consider if she'd enjoyed it or if she had finished, but then, the only one that ever did was Emmett.

She barely felt as he pulled out of her since he was so small and she winced a bit as she felt his hand slap her rear. "Get me a damp towel to clean up, will you, darlin'?"

She moved off of her hands and knees and walked naked across the room, trying to keep the look of distaste off her face as she felt his seed seeping down her thighs. Getting a small towel she dipped it in the wash basin and walked back towards him, a smile plastered on her face. He did look rather disgusting with his large frame taking up practically her whole bed, flesh oozing everywhere.

He winked and smiled at her. "Would you mind cleaning me up?"

She smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Course not." She started to use the damp cloth to clean him off and he closed his eyes with a happy sigh, "Thank you, Rose."

As she cleaned him off he continued to talk. "Swan was a fool for treating you the way he did. If I didn't have a harpy of a wife to deal with I'd take you home and use you up everyday till you were begging for mercy."

She chuckled. She had no doubt that she would be begging for mercy, but not for the reasons he was thinking off. As she wiped him down he continued to ramble on, complaining about his wife and daughter, about the fact that he needed more money coming in. Women in this place might open up their legs for men, but it was the men that opened their mouths and spewed forth more information than they should.

She was barely listening to him when he moved onto another topic that had her complete attention.

"…and if Swan would only agree to this deal that the Volturi brothers have set up it would be so much easier on me. He's being a stubborn jackass, but you know how he can be. If he keeps refusing to see reason there are more than a few people who are going to help him to change his mind and it ain't going to be pretty. Course it comes to that I might end up with more and that's always a good thing…"

He went on to talk about his need for more land and larger herds, eventually drifting off to sleep, his loud snore filling the room.

Frowning Rosie moved off the bed and went behind the screen in her room, there she pulled out the sponge soaked in vinegar from inside her. She always took whatever precautions she could so she wouldn't be saddled with a kid. The only times she'd lain with a man without using a sponge like that was when she'd been taken by force…or the couple of times with Emmett. Luckily she hadn't ended up pregnant.

Using a clean, damp cloth she cleaned up thoroughly as she processed what Mallory had told her. It sounded as if he and perhaps the Volturi brothers wanted to cause trouble for Emmett, and that wasn't something she could stand by and let happen. She'd have to get word to him one way or another.


	27. Chapter 27

Despite Emmett's protests he, Alice, and Bella ended up at church that Sunday. All of the children would giggle when they looked his way and even some of the men were sniggering, though they were trying to hide it better than the kids were. Alice and Bella ignored it for the most part while Emmett had to keep from grinning and giggling himself. Now that the initial embarrassment of the moment was over, he actually found "the incident" quite amusing. Of course, I would have been better if it had gotten him out of going to Sunday services completely, but there was no such luck.

After the service all three of them were in a rush to get out of there. Alice was avoiding Jessica, Bella was avoiding Reverend Newton since he kept giving her intense stares, even in the middle of his sermons, that made her feel rather uncomfortable, and Emmett was just avoiding everybody.

Their luck actually held out and they made it into the main street of town and headed towards the hotel where they were going to have lunch again.

Towards the end of their meal a shy looking young woman that couldn't have been more than a year or two older than Alice and Bella came up to them and Emmett smiled. "Well, hello there, Mrs. Cheney."

The young woman smiled. "Hello, Mr. Swan. Please, call me Angela, or Angie. Everyone else does."

Emmett smiled. "Sure thing, Angie, but only if you call me Emmett."

She nodded and hesitantly glanced towards Bella and Alice and for once Emmett had the sense that God gave him and he went into introductions. "Angie, this here is my sister, Bella Swan and my fiancée, Alice Brandon."

Angela nodded her head at both girls as they smiled back. "Miss Swan, Miss Brandon, it's a pleasure to meet you both. I've been wanting to meet you both to welcome you to Spoons Valley, but I recently had a baby."

"Congratulations! And, please, call us Alice and Bella" Alice grinned.

Bella smiled as well, nodding in agreement. "Yes, congratulations."

"Have a seat, Angie. Was it a boy or a girl?" Emmett asked as he pulled out a chair for her.

Angela sat down with a soft thank you then looked to Emmett. "Oh, it was a bouncing baby boy."

Emmett laughed. "Well, I'm sure Ben's besides himself. Congratulations to you both."

Angela blushed a bit and smiled. "He's happy as can be. Casey looks just like him, too."

"Casey," Alice repeated, "That's a good strong name. Where is the little fellow?" Bella nodded in agreement.

"My ma is actually watching him now. First time I've gotten out of the house since he was born and Ben wanted to treat me to lunch. He had to rush back off to work, but I wanted to introduce myself and, well, ask a favor actually." She blushed brightly.

"Shoot," Emmett said.

"Well, Emmett, the favor is actually being asked of Bella and Alice," Angela replied.

"Oh?" Alice said, cocking her head to the side questioningly.

"Yes, well, I don't know if Emmett has told you both, but the yearly town festival is coming up in about two weeks, the Saturday after next to be exact."

Alice looked to Emmett and her eyes narrowed a bit. "He failed to mention that."

Emmett knew he was in for it and he grumbled something under his breath as he stuffed a forkful of bread pudding into his mouth.

Angela continued, "This year in addition to the pie baking contest and horse race we'll also be having an auction to raise money to build a new school house. I know it's a lot to ask, but the ladies in town have been going on and on about the beautiful clothing you both wear and I was wondering if you might not be able to donate something for the auction. I know that it would really help our cause."

Alice finally turned her gaze away from Emmett, who was hunched over under her glare like he was trying to disappear. "We'd be more than happy to help."

Bella agreed. "I'm sure that we could find something to donate."

Angela smiled brightly. "Oh, thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me and the town."

"Are you the local schoolmarm?" asked Alice.

"No," Angela replied, "Mrs. Cope is, but she's getting on in years and I help out on days when she's feeling poorly."

Alice smiled. "Well, we'll let you know by next week what we can help with if that's all right."

"That'll be wonderful! Thank you both so much," Angela said as she moved to stand. "If either of you is inclined to baking you should try entering the pie baking contest as well."

Bella smiled. "I think that'll be fun. Thank you for letting us know about the festival."

Angela grinned brightly. "You're welcome. I'll see you next weekend. It was a pleasure meeting you both. Bye, Emmett."

With that she walked out of the hotel dining room.

"Well, she seemed like a nice lady," Bella commented.

Emmett nodded and was still warily looking at Alice.

"When were you going to tell us about the festival, Emmett?" Alice asked.

"I forgot about it, Alice," he replied in an almost whiney voice.

"Forgot?" she said with an arched brow.

"Well, it's not like I'm on the planning committee or anything! Eleazar usually reminds me a couple of days before it goes on since he and I usually enter the race. I didn't remember! Honest."

Alice nodded. "All right."

"All right?" Emmett asked, stunned.

"All right. I believe you," Alice said as she cleaned her lips with her napkin.

Emmett looked at her as if there was a catch to all this.

"We should get some fabric and head on back to the ranch," Alice continued, "Bella and I should get to work on something for the festival's auction."

"You're not mad?" Emmett asked, still looking at her suspiciously.

Alice just giggled. "Course not, Emmett."

Emmett let out a sigh of relief.

Bella giggled which made Emmett glare in her direction.

Rosie had waited, watching, hoping that she could catch Emmett on his own, but she had no such luck and after he left the general store with the two young ladies, she watched the group walk towards the wagon, a bolt of fabric in his hands. The smaller of the young women with him was talking animatedly about the dress she was going to make and how she was going to need Bella and Carmen's help to get it done. Now she knew that the smaller girl must be the girl Emmett was going to marry.

Her heart clenched as she watched them from the alley she was hiding in. The young woman was petite, pretty, and something she'd said caused both Emmett and Bella to laugh. She was a lady that much was obvious.

She knew she needed to talk to Emmett, to let him know what it was that Mallory had said, but she couldn't just approach him when he was with his sister and this other woman. They were good girls, that much was obvious to see, and she didn't want to embarrass them. She would just have to wait to catch Emmett alone some other time when he came to town. He might even come and see her, though she knew that that was probably wishful thinking on her part.


	28. Chapter 28

Edward was lying quietly under his blankets not too far from the campfire, Paul and Sam asleep nearby. The sounds of the nearby herd as well as the snores of the men sleeping were the only noises that filled the still evening.

Shifting under his blankets he looked up at the clear night sky looked at the stars, and thought of Bella. He found it amazing that she was always there, thoughts of her somewhere at the back of his mind, and he actually liked it. He liked her.

Lying there he thought of how pretty she was, about her long mahogany hair, chocolate brown eyes, and gorgeous smile. He remembered her laugh, which always seemed to make him smile, and he also remembered the feisty personality that was hiding under that shy exterior. He was falling for her. He was falling hard.

He'd never felt like this about anyone, not even Tanya. He'd known Tanya for as far back as he could remember, their parents having been friends since before they were born. They'd played in the mud as toddlers, he'd pulled her pigtails and made her cry as adolescents, and she'd given him his first kiss behind the old school house when they were no more than thirteen. She'd just always been there and they'd been a team, friends. Everyone assumed that one day they would get married, even Tanya.

And, that was where there had been a problem. Edward loved her, but he had never been _in love_ with her and he knew that he never would have been. He knew that he could have ignored his feelings — or lack thereof — and married Tanya like her and her family wanted, and he knew that he probably could have built a good, happy life with her if he went down that road, but he'd always felt that there was more to life than just settling and when Tanya had given him an ultimatum saying that she would leave Spoons Valley if he didn't marry her, he had told her the truth: He wished she would stay, but he couldn't marry her.

She'd left the very next day. That had been over three years ago. Over the years, every now and again, Kate and Irina, Tanya's sisters, or even Garrett, Kate's husband, would give him a short update on how she was settling in another western frontier town that was a week's ride away from Spoons Valley. He'd genuinely been happy to hear that she seemed to be doing well. A little over a year ago when they'd told him she'd been killed by outlaws that had invaded the town she'd moved to he had felt true sadness for the friend he had lost.

He knew that Irina blamed him for her sister's death, but Kate and Garrett were understanding about the whole situation and didn't hold him in the least bit responsible. He'd felt slightly guilty though, wondering if he had done the right thing by Tanya, wondering if he just shouldn't have married her, and then Bella had come along and he knew that despite the outcome of the situation, not marrying Tanya had been the right choice. His future was looking up again and it was because of a certain brown eyed girl.

As his thoughts drifted towards Bella again he smiled and turned on his side, closing his eyes. Hopefully he'd be able to see her in little over a week. With that happy thought he drifted to sleep.

Bella was in her room, sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard. Twilight lay curled up against her thigh, purring contentedly as she petted him gently. There was a book open on her lap, but she wasn't really paying attention to it, instead she had her head turned to the side and she was looking out the nearby window at the night sky.

She was exhausted. Since coming to the Big E she'd worked harder than she had in her whole life. She knew that she didn't have to and that Carmen and Alice wouldn't say a word against her if she decided not to help with the chores around the homestead, but that didn't feel right to her and so she helped and learned as much as she could. Already she could feed the livestock that was kept in the barn, collect eggs from the chicken coop, help with the laundry and meals, and she'd begun helping to take care of the small vegetable garden that Carmen kept. Carmen had even started talking about increasing the size of the plot now that she had Alice and Bella's help to take care of it.

It was hard work, but she loved it.

She was happier here than she'd ever been in her life in Chicago. Bella loved her parents, but she had been sheltered by them to the point where it had stunted her growth. She felt uneasy interacting with people and had been extremely shy. That was going away with each passing moment here. Here she had Emmett, who'd she always been close to, Alice, who she already thought of as a sister, and Carmen and Eleazar, who had become surrogate parents of sorts to the lot of them.

She'd even found herself relaxed when alone with Edward, more than relaxed actually. At the thought of him she blushed a bit. There was just something about him that made her crave his company and though she was confused by these feelings, she didn't want to fight them; instead, she wanted to explore them more and was looking forward to his coming back to the homestead in a week or two.

Just as she started to let her thoughts drift to Edward even more, thinking of his green eyes, his crooked smile, and his bronze hair, she heard a knock on the door and turned her head. Alice peeked in and said, "All right if I come in for a bit?"

Bella smiled, nodded and chuckled as Alice skipped into the room and climbed onto the foot of the bed where she sat down and made herself comfortable.

"Why am I not surprised that you're not sleeping?" Bella asked with a chuckled. "Where do you get all that energy, Alice?"

"The mother superior used to say it was my gift from God. At least she would say that in her good moments. In her bad moments she was pretty sure I was possessed by some demonic spirit," Alice replied with a grin.

Bella could only chuckle and watched as Twilight opened up one eye to look at Alice and then closed it again.

Alice grinned and reaching over she scratched the kitten between its ears. "Bella, can I ask you something?"

Bella nodded. "Sure. You know you can ask me anything."

"Do you think your brother likes me?"

Bella was taken aback by the question. "Well, of course he likes you, Alice."

Alice frowned. "I mean, do you think he _really_ likes me?"

This just caused Bella to look confused. "_Really_ likes you?"

Alice nodded and sighed. "I don't have much experience with men having grown up in a convent and all. I could see myself building a life here at the Big E, but I don't know that I can make him really happy is all."

Bella frowned a bit. "I think that you could, Alice. My brother is a big loon and he doesn't show emotions that well. For that matter neither did our father, or any man of my acquaintance. You and he are just getting to know each other. Just…give it time."

Alice frowned a bit and nodded. After a moment's silence, she asked, "What about you?"

"Me?" Bella replied.

"Yes, what about you and Edward?"

Bella blushed brightly and nibbled on her lower lip a bit. "I…I don't know, Alice. He…he still hasn't told me much about himself, but then he seeks me out and seems to want to talk and spend time with me. I mean, he found me just to tell me he was going to be gone. That's a good sign. Isn't it?"

Alice giggled. "I think it is."

Bella smiled back at her.

Alice continued, "Do you know if he'll be back for the festival? I was talking to Carmen about it and she says it's actually a pretty big event."

"I'm not sure. He said he'd be out two or three weeks," said Bella.

"Well, we'll make you look absolutely gorgeous either way! The dresses I'm altering from our wardrobes will be perfect! Are you really going to try to make a pie for the pie baking contest?"

Alice went on for quite a while, talking about the preparations for the festival and Bella couldn't help but get caught up in her enthusiasm. She was going to have fun no matter what, but she knew she would have more fun if Edward was there.


	29. Chapter 29

Because the festival in town was supposed to go on over a two day time period, Emmett had booked rooms at the hotel in town so they wouldn't have to come back to the homestead only to have to go back the next day. He would have a room and Bella and Alice would share another room. Originally, he had only booked the room for Friday night since the festivities were going on Friday and Saturday, but Alice had reminded him about church and he had grudgingly agreed to ask Peter and Charlotte, the hotel owners, to let them have the room another night so they could stay and go to church on Sunday morning.

A few of the cowpokes were going to take turns staying on the homestead so that some of them could go to the festivities on Friday and others could go on Saturday. It really depended on where their interest lay. Friday was the day when children's activities went on in the early afternoon this was followed by the pie baking contest and while none of the cowpokes had families of their own, there was also a dance on Friday night and some of them were interested in possibly meeting some of the young ladies from town or those that might be visiting from neighboring towns. Others were more interested in attending the festivities on Saturday. While the auction would be taking place that morning, more of them were interested in the horserace that was taking place that afternoon.

As they rode into town the morning of the festival Alice was practically bouncing in her seat on the wagon.

Emmett shook his head, "Alice, you're going to scare the horses with all that bouncing around and they're going to bolt." Of course it was obvious that he was teasing when he winked at Bella.

Alice just ignored his teasing like she usually did and started to go on and on about the festival, "The pies that Bella and Carmen baked are definitely going to win prizes. You're lucky that we caught you before you ate them Emmett or I would have made you sit with Reverend Newton as penance."

Emmett shrugged at her words. "Might have been worth it. I didn't know that Bells could bake and that pie she made smelled delicious."

Alice looked at him thoughtfully a moment then said, "How about if I had made you do penance by sitting with Miss Stanley all day."

Emmett did look thoroughly horrified at that suggestion and both Bella and Alice went into peals of laughter.

Alice giggled. "Well, like I said, good thing I caught you before you started eating those pies. I think the dress we made for the auction turned out lovely and our dresses for the dance are even more beautiful than that one. Bella is going to be the belle of the ball."

Emmett made even more of a face at that, obviously not liking the idea.

Alice ignored him again. "Of course, there's only one cowboy that our Bella is interested in."

Emmett accidently tugged on the reins as he heard this and the horses jerked a bit, causing the wagon to sway a moment before he got them under control again.

"What? Who?" he asked, turning to Bella with a glare.

Bella blushed brightly. "She's just teasing, Bear. Watch what you're doing." As he turned his attention back to the horses he grumbled under his breath and Bella gave Alice a pointed look.

When they arrived at the area of town where the festival was taking place, the three of them set up the picnic that Carmen had packed for them. Carmen and Eleazar had decided to stay home an extra day and not come into town till Saturday for the horserace that Eleazar would be participating in.

Angela arrived a short time later with Ben and her baby and they set up their own picnic near Bella, Alice, and Emmett's. As they sat there, eating and getting to know each other, they watched some of the games that the children were playing nearby. It seemed as if the whole town of Spoons Valley — as well as several families from other towns — were there to enjoy the festivities. They were in the middle of eating when Emmett suddenly called out, "Hey, Jasper!"

The group looked over to see Jasper approaching with a smile. "Hey, Emmett." He tipped his hat at Bella, Alice, and Angela. "Ladies."

Each of them said hello and for once it was Bella that spoke up instead of Alice. "Would you care to join us, Jasper?"

Jasper seemed hesitant a moment but then he nodded and sat down next to Alice who smiled at him and started to serve him a plate of food. As they ate and talked, laughing at some of the antics of the children, no one really noticed the way that Jasper would glance at Alice now and again and vice versa.

Jasper found himself "accidentally" touching the fabric of Alice's dress or brushing his hand against hers as he reached for something. He knew he should stop before someone noticed so he turned his attention to the food and asked, "Are those Carmen's biscuits?"

Emmett glared at him and said, "Those are _my_ biscuits, Jasper."

Jasper jumped a bit, eyes widening in Emmett's direction, and he looked stricken for a second. He thought Emmett was subtly telling him to knock of what was going on with Alice.

Of course, Jasper should have known that Emmett was never subtle about anything and he really had meant the biscuits.

"Uh, sure, sorry, Emmett," Jasper said and started to get up. "I should go check that the out of towners aren't already three sheets to the wind in the saloon."

Bella frowned. "Emmett! There are plenty of biscuits for everyone!"

Jasper smiled a bit at Bella. "It's fine, Bella. I should be going anyway. Thank you kindly for the meal." And, with that he was gone, silently cursing himself for being so obvious with Alice.

Alice surprisingly still hadn't said much of anything. She'd noticed Jasper's looks and small actions towards her, and honestly, she had liked them, so she hadn't pointed anything out and she also figured that Emmett was talking about more than biscuits.

Emmett sat there looking confused. "I was just teasing him. I would have shared."

Bella frowned at him and shook her head even as Emmett shrugged off Jasper's strange behavior.

Eventually, some of the kids came up and asked Emmett if he wanted to play — he'd become a hero of sorts to many of them since the church incident — and he readily agreed. Alice, Bella, and Angela all laughed as they watched him play with the kids, being one big kid himself.

Angela smiled at Alice. "He's going to make a great father someday, Alice."

Alice actually blushed and nodded. "Yes, I think so, too." Bella noticed that there was something that was just, well, off.

Angela excused herself after a while saying she had to go feed the baby inside and left Alice and Bella alone. As the two girls sat there, watching Emmett play, Bella finally asked, "Do you want children of your own, Alice?"

Alice looked a bit startled as she replied, "Of course I do!" She frowned a moment, "I didn't always think I would have a family of my own, but being here, well, I found the family I'd always been hoping for. You and Emmett are the family I always wanted." What she didn't tell Bella was that she thought of Emmett as a big brother. Her heart really was being tugged in a completely different direction. And, as she thought of Jasper and what she would never have because she couldn't hurt Bella or Emmett like that…as well as because of her past, she started to cry.

Bella's eyes widened and she put her arms around Alice. "Oh, Alice! Don't cry. Everything will be all right. Before long you and Emmett will be married and before you know it you'll have a bunch of tiny little babies running around. Well, maybe not tiny considering who their father will be, but you know what I mean."

Alice laughed a bit through her tears and nodded as she pulled her handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped at her tears.


	30. Chapter 30

The rest of the day progressed with fun and laughter. Emmett had fun playing with the children and had been more than enthusiastic when he had been asked to be one of the judges of the pie baking contest along with Garrett, the local blacksmith, and Peter, the local hotel owner. Emmett had been the most enthusiastic about participating while Garrett and Peter were a bit more reluctant considering that both their wives had entered the contest. Emmett was simply interested in the fact that he got to eat lots of pie, giving little consideration to the fact that his sister and housekeeper were both entered in the contest. In the end, Carmen had won first and Bella had come in third. Emmett was happy while both Garrett and Peter grumbled, knowing that they would never hear the end of it from their wives despite the fact that they had judged the pies anonymously.

Throughout the day, people milled around, talking, laughing, and getting caught up or just getting to know each other. Bella and Alice both caught several of the men — both single _and_ married — looking their way. Despite the fact that Emmett's glare usually kept the men at bay, a few, like Eric Yorkie, actually came up to them to introduce themselves, though Bella did notice how he always seemed to move to keep her between Alice and himself. He seemed more frightened of Alice than he did of Emmett. Reverend Newton had also come up to say hello and his eyes had stayed on Bella while he chatted a bit with Alice before Jessica had come to drag him off under the pretense of needing his help with something.

A big bar-b-q had started towards the evening and people were sitting around, eating and chatting even as the band set up on a large rectangular platform that had been assembled to accommodate them and anyone who wanted to dance that evening.

When the music finally started playing Bella was surprised by how many men seemed to want to dance with her. Eric Yorkie, Tyler Crowley, and even Reverend Newton had all approached her to dance, but she had feigned regret in turning them all down. She'd never been much of a dancer and was too afraid of her own clumsiness to even risk it, but as she sat there, watching as Emmett, who wasn't much of a dancer himself, risked it and took Alice's hand to lead her to the dance floor for a turn around the dance floor, she couldn't help but feel a bit envious as she watched Emmett swing Alice around, his large hands on her tiny waist.

At that moment she wished that Edward could have been there, holding her and touching her like that, making her laugh the way that Emmett was making Alice laugh. Letting out a sigh of regret, she jumped as she heard someone whisper in her ear, "What's that sigh for?" She nearly fell off of the bench where she was sitting, but felt the strong hands of the person that was standing beside her steady her.

"Whoa there!" Edward said as he made sure she didn't fall over. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

Blushing brightly she regained her balance and shifted around a bit in her seat as he moved to sit next to her. She knew she was grinning like a fool, but she couldn't help it. "You're here! I mean…you came!" she said happily.

Edward gave her his crooked smile and tipped his hat a bit. "Yes, ma'am. Came in from my time on the range and went to the homestead only to have Carmen tell me that you, Emmett, and Alice had come to town for the festival. Made it out as fast as I could." Looking at her, he knew the rush had been worth it. The bronze colored dress trimmed in black lace that she wore suited her coloring perfectly and made her eyes seem a deeper, warmer color of brown and her skin had a pretty peaches and cream look to it.

Bella thought he looked quite handsome too in his fresh blue shirt and dark denim jeans. He was even wearing a different cowboy hat that looked to be made of ivory colored suede.

For a moment they both sat there, staring and grinning at each other, before Edward blushed a bit and turned to look around. "Where are Alice and Emmett anyhow?"

Bella smiled and pointed at the dance floor where Alice was moving through the dance gracefully while Emmett looked more like he had ants in his pants.

Both she and Edward laughed and he asked, "Is that why you're not dancing? Please tell me you have better dancing skills than your brother."

She smiled. "Well, I don't think I look quite like that, but as you know, I'm rather clumsy."

"That's because you've never had the right partner," he replied.

"Really?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

He nodded and looked over to the dance floor. The last set was ending and Emmett was leading Alice back towards them just as the band began to play the notes of a heartfelt waltz. Standing he offered her his hand. "C'mon then." Bella looked at his hand hesitantly and he leaned closer to her and whispered, "Please? Before your brother comes up and finds some excuse to keep you away from me?"

She couldn't help but put her hand in his then and before Emmett and Alice had reached them, Edward was leading her out onto the dance floor. Several other couples joined them, but as the strains of the music drifted around them and he moved them into position, raising her delicate hand in his even as his other hand went to her slender waist even as her own free hand held up the small train of her dress, they got lost in each other and he leaned in to whisper, "Just let me take the lead. I won't let anything happen to you."

At that moment they both felt that he was talking about more than a dance.

As he moved her around the dance floor, his emerald green eyes locked with her brown eyes, she had no thoughts about what her feet were doing and she wasn't worried about falling. She was just happy to be so close to him, to feel the warmth of his hand in hers and the soft caress of his fingers at her waist.

This…this was heaven.

Emmett sat next to Alice, frowning as he watched Edward and Bella dancing. He barely noticed as Alice placed a hand on his arm.

"Emmett?" she said softly. When he didn't answer she shook his arm a bit. "Emmett?"

Emmett turned to her and sighed. "Yeah?"

She hesitated a moment, wanting to tell him to let it go, that it was obvious his sister was happy, but at that moment because of her feelings for Jasper that just seemed to get stronger every time she saw him, she didn't think it was her place and instead she whispered, "May I have a glass of lemonade, please?"

Emmett nodded and without a word he got up to go to the refreshment stand, leaving her by herself.

As he stood there, serving up a glass of lemonade for Alice, his mind kept wandering to the sight of his sister dancing with Edward. He didn't like it. Not one bit, even if he knew that Edward was a good guy. No matter what Bella was his baby sister and he had to watch out from her.

As he was lost in these thoughts he felt something hit his arm and looked around in confusion. Then he felt something else hit his chest and he glanced over to a crop of bushes nearby and saw Rosie peeking out from behind them.

Blinking in surprise, he put down the glass of lemonade, looked around a moment and then made his way towards her. "Rosie? What are you doing?"

Rosie's own eyes were darting around, making sure that no one was watching and she whispered, "I need to talk to you, Em. It's important."

Before Emmett could even process what was going on, Rosie had taken his hand and was dragging him to a nearby alley between the general store and the bank.

"What's going on, Rosie?" He asked in confusion as she pulled him into the dark alley.

"Just, listen, will you? I know you have to get back to your…you have to get back." She didn't even give him a chance to reply as she continued, holding him close and whispering in his ear in case someone happened upon them. "Mallory's out to get you. I don't know what he has planned, but he was talking about some deal your refusing to go into and how it wasn't going to be pretty if you didn't change your mind."

Emmett listened with a frown and asked, "Did he say anything else?"

She shook her head as she tilted her head to look up at him. "No, but I'll keep trying to find out more."

He frowned and whispered, "No, you stay out of this, Rosie. I don't want you to get hurt."

She couldn't help but smile at that, feeling a faint bit of hope that maybe he still loved her and tiptoeing up she kissed him softly and whispered, "I'll be all right, Em. I'm a big girl. I know how to take care of myself."

When her lips had brushed against his, Emmett had shivered a bit and he just looked at her as he spoke. Then, without really thinking about it, his mouth was on hers and he was kissing her with a desperate hunger.

Rosie didn't even have the chance to think and she was kissing him back.

Emmett's arms went around her and he moaned into the kiss as his tongue brushed against her lips, causing her to open her mouth to him. Neither of them was really thinking as he lifted her up, pushing her up against the wall of the alley, even as her legs lifted to wrap around his waist.

They were barely taking the time to pause between kisses to breathe and now it was Rosie that was moaning as she felt him growing hard between her legs through the fabric of her dress and petticoats as he grinded up against her, pushing her into the wall. She felt herself growing wet at the intimate contact and broke the kiss, panting for breath as she looked at him through the shadowed darkness.

Using his strength to hold her up with one arm and using the wall to support her, Emmett tugged at the fabric between them until it was out of his way, and reaching down between their bodies he slid a finger along her slit, groaning at how wet she was for him.

Rosie shivered and buried her face against his neck with a groan as she felt two of his fingers dip inside of her even as he used the heel of his hand to grind up against her clit. When he whispered in her ear, "Please, Rosie? Please?" she could only moan out, "Yes, Em." And then he slipped his fingers from inside her and was fumbling with his belt and the fastening of his pants.

It took some maneuvering, but once he had freed his cock he used his hand to position her and then he slowly lowered her body so that he slid into her a bit at a time. He bit his lower lip to keep from moaning too loud and she muffled her own groan against his neck.

He stayed still a moment, just enjoying the feel of being part of her again and then he slowly started to move his hips, almost whimpering at the sensation of her tight, wet warmth encasing him.

Rosie was making small sounds of pleasure as she felt him sliding in her depths, filling her so completely. For the first time in weeks, she felt whole.

As they got lost in their passionate embrace, their soft sounds of pleasure filling the shadowed recesses of the alley around them, neither of them noticed a small slender figure in a bronze dress stop at the end of the alley.

The figure stood there a moment, seemingly frozen in horror and then just as quickly the figure disappeared.


	31. Chapter 31

Alice sat quietly, watching as Bella and Edward danced. She had had fun dancing with Emmett to the lively song just before this one, but as she watched the couples waltz, she felt heartache as she wished that she could dance like that…with Jasper. Both Edward and Bella look so happy to be holding each other and she wanted that so much. Sitting there she wondered if she would ever grow to love Emmett like that.

As her thoughts drifted to Emmett she let her eyes wander off the dance floor, wondering where he was with the lemonade she'd sent him to get to distract her. When she didn't see him, she sighed, figuring that he'd wandered off somewhere. That man did have the attention span of a two year old after all.

As she started to look back to the dance floor, she realized that her view was being blocked by someone and she tilted her head back only to find herself looking up at Lauren Mallory who had a posse of girls around their age standing around her.

"May I help you with something, ladies?" Alice asked with an arch of her brow.

"Well, lookie here girls," Lauren sneered. "Can't even keep her own fiancé's attention. Poor, sad, pathetic little thing."

Alice didn't say anything and just tilted her head at Lauren, giving her a curious look as she continued to speak.

"You know he doesn't really want you. There's a reason why Emmett Swan hasn't married you yet. Everyone knows that he…"

Before Lauren could say anything else a voice behind the group of girls interrupted her. "Excuse me, ladies."

The group of young women turned to find Jasper standing behind them and they all started to grin, giggle, and blush a bit. He was a handsome fellow after all. Although he hadn't danced all evening, each of them wondered if he'd finally singled out one of them.

Of course Lauren figured that it was her and she gave him a charming smile as she spoke. "Well, hello, Sherriff Whitlock. Looking for me?"

Most men would have said yes and asked her to dance right then and there, if only to keep from embarrassing the lady, but Jasper wasn't like most men. Smiling he shook his head. "Sorry, ma'am, but I was about to ask Miss Alice here if she'd take a turn around the dance floor."

Alice's eyes widened in surprise as he held his hand out to her. "Would you do me the honor, Miss Alice."

Alice blushed prettily, grinned brightly and bounced out of her seat as she put her hand in Jaspers, leaving the group of girls glaring in her wake.

As he started to move through the steps of the dance with her, she whispered, "Thank you."

"For what?" he replied with a smile.

"For keeping me away from those wretched girls."

Jasper just smiled, winked, and said, "It was my pleasure, little lady." He had felt a twinge of anger when he had seen Lauren and the girls bothering Alice, and when he'd gotten closer and realized that Lauren was probably going to spill the beans about Emmett's feelings for Rosie, he'd interrupted by asking Alice to dance, despite the fact that he had sworn he wouldn't.

Now, as they moved through the set, and every now and then he got to put his hands on her tiny waist, he was glad he had for more than one reason.

Bella and Edward had left the dance floor when the waltz that they'd been dancing had ended. He had been leading her back to the bench where she'd been sitting with Alice and her brother when he noticed the gaggle of girls standing there. His first instinct had been to run in the opposite direction with Bella, but he also figured that they were harassing Alice and he just couldn't stand for that. Just when he'd been about to leave Bella to go help her friend out, he saw Jasper swoop in and rescue the girl by asking her to dance.

Letting out a sigh of relief he changed course and led Bella to the refreshment table. As he looked over at her and saw her looking at him with a big grin, he couldn't help but smile crookedly back. "Thank you for the dance, Bella," he said.

Blushing prettily she replied, "The pleasure was all mine. And, I didn't even trip over my own two feet once!" She seemed so excited by this fact that Edward couldn't help but laugh.

As they reached the table that had lemonade, cookies, and other tidbits left out, he let go of her arm and moved to serve her some lemonade. "I'm really glad I made it out tonight, Bella."

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, he heard someone speaking behind it. "With as pretty as she looks, were real glad she made it out here, too."

Edward stiffened as he recognized James' voice and he turned to find him standing there next to Laurent, another of Mallory's men.

Bella instinctively took a step closer to Edward as she saw the way that James was looking at her. The man still made her feel so uneasy that she had the urge to flee every time she saw him.

"What do you want, James?" Edward asked in a stiff voice.

James snickered a bit. "Oh, come now, Edward. You can't hog the prettiest girl here all to yourself. I was just going to ask Miss Swan if she'd like to dance."

"No. No, thank you," Bella managed to get out.

"Aw, c'mon. You know you want to," James replied, even as he reached out and snatched up Bella's hand.

Bella let out a cry that was more from being startled then being hurt and Edward was immediately between her and James.

"Don't you touch her!"

James let go of Bella but got right in Edward's face and sneered. "Or what, Masen? What can _you_ do about it?"

Before Bella even knew what was going on they were throwing punches and the music had come to a stop. Jasper had left Alice on the dance floor and was running towards the scuffle and Bella did the first thing that came to mind, running in the direction she had seen Emmett walking off in.

She was scanning the street and the sidewalk as she ran, tripping a bit over her own feet, when she heard noises coming from one of the allies. Moving in that direction she stopped abruptly when she realized her brother was there, but before she could call out to him she froze, her mind not able to process what she was seeing. When she was finally able to process the scene before her she felt her heart start to hammer even more even as the blood started to pool under her skin, causing her to blush brightly.

Then, holding back a cry of distress, she ran back towards the others, her mind more chaotic then the scene of the fight in front of her.

Later that night after everything had been broken up, Bella lay in the bed she was sharing with Alice at the hotel. She hadn't been able to talk to anyone after the fight and just kept saying that she was fine every time someone asked if she was all right, but even then she couldn't look at any of them in the face, especially not Emmett. Everyone, including Alice, figured that she'd just been startled by James' behavior towards her and had let her be.

She lay awake, even after Alice fell asleep, her mind a jumble because of what she'd seen. Her brother…with another woman. What did that mean for Alice? All she knew is that despite how much she loved her brother, she couldn't let him ruin Alice's life by letting him marry her. Not after what she'd seen. As she thought about what Alice had said earlier about wanting a family, her eyes stung with tears and she turned her back to Alice's sleeping form, curled up in a ball, and let the ache in her chest take over as she sobbed quietly into hands. This evening her image of her brother had been shattered, and because of it she was going to lose a sister.


	32. Chapter 32

"Noooo, Emmett!" Alice said adamantly. "You are _not _going to bid on that hideous…" She turned to Carmen. "What is that thing anyway?"

Carmen had been standing there, nodding and agreeing with Alice's insistence that Emmett was not going to bring that thing into his house.

"It's supposed to be a chair," Carmen said with a scowl.

Alice looked at the chair, made out of various cattle, deer, and other beasts' horns and she grimaced and added with more conviction, "Just…no."

"But…but, Allllice!" Emmett whined.

Eleazar was standing nearby, suspiciously covering his mouth with his hand and looking away.

Carmen added, "¿_Cómo se sienta una persona en algo así sin picarse las nalgas?_"

Eleazar, who was standing nearby, started to cough a bit and Edward was openly snickering next to him.

"Emmett, do you realize what a big man you are? You'd break the thing!" Alice continued to argue.

"Well," Emmett seemed to be trying to think of an argument against that, "you could use it! Like your own little cattle queen throne!" He grinned brightly at coming up with this argument and turned to Bella for support. "Don't you think she'd look nice sitting in that chair, Bells?"

Bella had been quiet all morning, lost in thought. Whenever someone asked her what was wrong she simply said she had a headache. As Emmett said her name, she realized that he had been talking to her, though she didn't know exactly what he had said since her thoughts had been elsewhere. She looked at him a moment and then her gaze turned to the others in the group. "I'm going to go lie down for a bit at the hotel. I'll meet up with all of you later before the race."

Emmett frowned a bit even as Alice asked, "You want me to come with you, Bella?"

Bella smiled a bit at Alice and shook her head. "No, that's all right, Alice. Thank you. You stay and have fun. I know you're dying to know how your dress does at the auction." There was already a small group of women gathered around the dress that was laid out on a nearby table.

Edward touched her arm lightly and said, "I'll escort you back to the hotel."

She nodded and let him slip her hand into the crook of his arm as he led her off. As the walk she tilted her head back to look up at him, taking in the shiner that he'd gotten the night before.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he replied. "Oh, no. Looks worse than it is. My aunt slapped a big o' piece of steak on it last night or it'd be worse." He smiled. "From what Jasper tells me James and Laurent are worse off after spending the night in a cell."

"They're still there?" she asked.

Edward shook his head. "No reason for him to hold them. Usually participants in a brawl like that just get one night behind bars. I'm just lucky that I'm friends with the sheriff." He winked then winced at the pain that caused his black eye.

Bella didn't even manage to crack a smile and just nodded, still distracted by her thoughts.

Edward rested his large, callused hand over the small delicate one that was tucked through his arm and he looked at her with concern. "Hey, you all right? If you want I can take you to see my uncle. Perhaps he can give you something for your headache."

She shook her head and gave him a soft smile that struck him as being a bit sad. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I just…I just need to rest a little is all."

He nodded and stopped in front of the hotel.

"Well, I'd escort you up to your room, but seeing as how that wouldn't be proper I'll leave you here." He squeezed her hand a bit with his own. "You'll be at the race won't you?"

She couldn't help but smile a bit as she saw the hopeful look in his eyes as he asked. It was a like a child asking if they were going to get a present. She nodded and squeezed his hand back. "I'll be there."

Edward grinned, lifted her slender hand to his lips and brushed his lips across her knuckles before he turned and headed back in the direction that they'd come from, a light spring to his step. After he'd made it a few feet away he turned over his shoulder, grinned even more and rushed off.

She stood there, looking after the spot where he'd disappeared and then looked to the hotel behind her. Truth was she didn't want to go back to her room, but she just hadn't wanted to be around Emmett and Alice. She almost felt like running after Edward, but chewing on her lower lip she decided against it and just headed off in another direction, trying to distract herself by exploring the small town.

She'd been walking a good half hour, still lost in her thoughts, when she bumped into someone, almost toppling over. A pair of strong, feminine hands reached out to steady her and a husky voice said, "Easy there! You all right?"

Bella looked up and felt herself turn red as she recognized the face of the woman that she'd seen in the alley with her brother the night before. There was no doubt that the blonde was one of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen and she would recognize that face anywhere.

"Hey, you all right?" the woman asked again, concern etched on her face.

Bella nodded and couldn't manage to find her voice.

"You shouldn't be here, single gal like you. This is where…hmm…you just shouldn't be here." Rosie had been surprised to bump into Bella by the shanties. This was where the whores that were too old or sick to be in the saloon and some of the poorer folk in town lived. She went there when she could to help out an old friend, but even she didn't feel comfortable being there too long. "Where's your brother?"

Bella frowned at that. "He…uh…he…"

Rosie arched a brow and then shook her head. "C'mon. We'll get you back to the main part of town."

Bella didn't follow and just looked at Rosie as she took a few steps away from her and then she blurted out. "I saw you. I saw you with my brother!"

Rosie stopped, turned slowly, and looked at Bella curiously as Bella continued in a soft whisper, blushing in mortification. "I saw you…in the alley…last night."

Now, Rosie was a hardened woman that had seen a lot in her twenty years of life. She would have guessed that it had been at least five years since anyone had seen her blush, but at Bella's words she immediately felt her skin turning hot and red and she opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again, not knowing what to say.

After they stood there, just looking at each other a moment, Rosie finally cleared her throat and said, "Well, I suppose we should find somewhere to talk. I'm Rosalie, but folks just call me Rose or Rosie."

Bella worried her lower lip. "Pleasure to meet you, Rosie. I'm Bella."

Rosie sighed and motioned for her to follow. "C'mon then. I know a place we can go where we won't be seen."

Bella started to walk with her, looking at her curiously as she asked, "Why shouldn't we be seen?"

Rosie gave her a look that seemed to question Bella's sanity and she whispered, "Well, nice young ladies don't talk to women like me."

"Women like you?" Bella asked.

"Yes," Rosie frowned. "I…I work at the saloon."

Bella didn't seem to understand the implications of what that meant at first and then as she realized what Rosie probably meant she blushed brightly. "I…oh…I…hmmm…" Her brows drew together thoughtfully. "So does that mean that my brother, er, paid you for…" She was obviously completely mortified if one judged by the expression on her face.

"What? Oh! No! It's not…It's not like that with Emmett and me," Rosie frowned. "Well, shit…"

Bella blinked, never having heard a woman cuss like that before. Sure, she heard Emmett, Edward, and occasionally Eleazar do so now and then, but she wasn't used to hearing a woman, a beautiful woman at that, say things like that.

Rosie looked as if she were trying to figure out what to say as she led Bella to a secluded spot on the outskirts of town where she sometimes went to think.

As they got further away from where people would see them, Rosie finally found her voice. "I don't…I don't consider your brother a customer. I mean, well, he's not like the others."

Bella watched her closely and said, "You like him." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Rosie frowned a bit and nodded as she came into a clearing just past the tree line. "I do." Without saying anything else she moved to sit on the soft grass, the skirt of her red dress billowing around her as she did so.

Bella didn't sit and she looked at her as she asked softly, "Does he like you?"

Rosie seemed to hesitate before answering the question, "He says he loves me."

With that, Bella asked with a soft whisper, "Do you love him?"

Now Rosie felt as if she were going to cry. Bella must have seen it in her face because she immediately sat down next to her and taking her hand she said, "It's all right."

Rosie used her free hand to hastily wipe at her tears. "No, it's not. I know I shouldn't have done what I did with him last night, but…I mean, I know he has a fiancée. I just…" She shook her head not knowing what to say.

Bella frowned and let go of Rosie's hand only to move her arm to wrap around her. "My brother is a big…horse's ass!" The words sounded so foreign coming out of Bella's mouth that she couldn't help but giggle and Rosie giggled a bit through her tears, too. Bella sighed and continued though, "What right does he have sending for Alice and treating you that way?"

Rosie hesitated and whispered, "He wants…wanted to marry me. I said no."

Bella blinked at that and her brows drew together in a confused frown. "Why would you do something like that?"

"What do you mean why would I do something like that?" Rosie asked with a shocked expression. "I'm…I'm a whore!"

Bella tilted her head. "Yes, but obviously you wouldn't have to be anymore."

Rosie frowned and just sat there a while and then she said, "Bella, I…" She frowned and reached up to rub her forehead. "When I was fourteen I thought I had fallen in love. I was working with my mother cleaning houses in Rochester over in New York. My momma got sick one day and didn't go into work and on the way home I met this…charming, handsome man that just swept me off my feet. Every day he would find ways to sneak visits with me. My momma didn't know about it. One day, he convinced me to run off with him, saying we would elope and come back and surprise my momma. So, being a foolish girl, I believed him and went off with him." She paused for a moment to clear her throat, though the pain was in her voice as she continued, "He took me that night to New York City, but instead of taking me to a preacher or a judge he…he had his way with me and then handed me off to a group of his friends so they could rape me too. After that I knew I couldn't go home. I survived the only way I could and eventually Felix and Demetri, the owners of the saloon here, brought me out west with them offering me a place with them."

Bella had sat there, obviously horrified by Rosie's story, and eventually she whispered, "That's…I can't imagine what that's like, Rosie, but you wouldn't have to live that life anymore."

Rosie looked upset now and she shook her head. "No, he deserves better than a whore for a wife."

"But…" Bella said, but was quickly interrupted by Rosie.

"No! No buts about it." She stood up and brushed at the seat of her skirts. "He deserves a wife that doesn't have a horrible past, that…that is good, clean. He deserves a wife that'll be accepted in polite society, not one that has spread her legs for every man in town!"

Bella couldn't help but blush brightly at her words and could only watch as Rosie stomped off, leaving her alone in the clearing.

O0O0O0O

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing! This story is far from over. **

**Translation:**

"**¿**_**Cómo se sienta una persona en algo así sin picarse las nalgas?**_**" = "How does a person sit on something like that without pricking their ass?"**


	33. Chapter 33

Emmett sat scowling for several reasons. One, he hadn't won the chair in the auction. Mallory had won the darn thing, though Mallory's wife hadn't looked too pleased at the prospect of having that chair in her home. Alice and Carmen had both just looked relieved. Two, Bella was acting strange. She hadn't spoken a word to him all morning. He was beginning to worry that she really was getting sick or that the fight that had happened the previous evening really had shook her up more than she was admitting. Then, there'd been the whole thing with Rosie the night before.

He knew he shouldn't have done it, but when he'd been there alone with her in the dark, he couldn't help himself. He just needed to touch her, be with her. He'd been up all night thinking about her, thinking about Alice and life in general and he'd come to one conclusion:

He couldn't marry Alice.

He let his gaze wander to Alice, who was standing nearby talking to Angie and Bella. Well, Alice and Angie were talking; Bella was just kinda standing there with a far off look in her eyes, looking as sad as if her kitten had died. He really was worried about her. He didn't know what was bothering her today, but he knew that his not marrying Alice was going to break her heart.

Then there was Alice herself. How was he going to tell her that he'd dragged her away from the only life she had known to come live with complete strangers and now he couldn't follow through with his promise to marry her? She was such a sweet lady. Well, perhaps _sweet_ wasn't the word he'd use to describe her, but she was good, kind, and she had a good head on her shoulders. If he wasn't in love already he knew he would have made a good life with her, but with his heart elsewhere he couldn't give her the attention and love that she deserved from a husband. No, he couldn't marry her, even if that meant he ended up all alone.

Sighing he looked towards the men that were getting ready for the horse race. Edward and Eleazar were riding as were several others of his ranch hands. In addition to some men from town several of Mallory's men were riding as well, including James and Laurent. He still had a bone to pick with those two, but seeing their bruised up swollen faces made him feel a bit better. He still couldn't believe he'd missed the fight the night before. But, Rosie's warning had been important. He'd even told Eleazar and Edward to be careful during the race. He wouldn't put it past Mallory or the Volturi to go after his friends and family.

As he sat there, pondering how he was going to keep Bella safe and how he was going to tell Alice that he couldn't go through with marrying her, Jasper came to stand next to him.

"Everything all right, Em?" Jasper asked, his own eyes on the men who were making sure their mounts were ready for the race.

Emmett frowned. "Just thinking."

"Don't strain yourself," Jasper joked and Emmett snorted in response.

They stood there in silence for some time and Emmett's gaze drifted towards Alice again. She looked pretty today in the new dress she had made and he couldn't help but smile as he saw her laugh at something Angie had said. What was he going to do? He had money to give her and of course she would have a place to stay even if he did break it off, but he'd already gotten a sense that Alice was a proud woman who would see that as charity, and she wouldn't accept charity. Perhaps he could find her another husband. That might just work. He wondered who he could set her up with, but no one immediately came to mind and he decided to enlist Jasper's help.

"Hey, Jasper, can I ask you something?" He was totally oblivious to the fact that Jasper was also watching Alice.

Jasper nodded. "Yeah."

"What do you think about Alice?" Emmett asked. His head was turned away so he didn't notice as Jasper looked shocked and then turn completely pale.

Jasper opened his mouth to say something, shut it again, and then finally managed to get out. "I didn't touch your biscuits, Emmett!" And, with that Jasper stormed off.

Emmett blink and turned to watch Jasper stomp away, wondering what in the world was going on and feeling more confused than ever. Why was Jasper still concerned about the stupid biscuits?

The men were lined up at the starting line, their mounts moving restlessly underneath them. The race began and ended in town the majority of the course actually extended well past the boundaries of Spoons Valley, winding its way through some of the outlying areas. There were men set up along the route to insured that all the riders stayed the course, but there would be long stretches where there would be no one to observe what was going on.

In past years when races like this one had been held, things had gotten dirty between some of the contestants, but this year, with all the things going on with the railroad and between Mallory and Swan, there was even more tension in the air as the men waited for the starting gun to go off.

Edward, on top of his chestnut horse, had a look of concentration on his face. He and Eleazar would ride much of the course together and would only split up if one of them started to fall behind or one of the horses went lame. They usually ended up separating in the last section of the course when one would surge ahead.

Looking around him Edward noticed that he and Eleazar were being watched by James and Laurent. The fight last night had added more tension to the atmosphere and although he was grateful for Emmett's warning about Mallory's men, he knew that it didn't make much of a difference. They weren't hiding the animosity they felt towards him and the others from the Big E.

As the starting gun went off, the riders dug their heels into their horses' sides and after some of the mounts reared up a bit, the air was filled with the sound of whinnies and stomping hooves as they took off in a streak of blacks, browns, grays, and whites. Most of the riders couldn't hear the crowd standing on either side of them cheering them on as the hammering of their hearts drown out all the noises around them.

It didn't take long before some riders began to separate themselves from the pack, Edward, Eleazar, James, and Laurent among them. The riders were calling out, wiping at their horses' hind quarters with their reins and kicking their sides to urge them to go faster.

It wasn't till after the halfway mark that things began to happen. By then most of the riders had fallen behind and only Eleazar, Edward, and James were battling for the lead. But, at a corner, Laurent seemed to come out of nowhere, catching Eleazar off guard as he cut him off, causing Eleazar's gray mount to rear up a bit. Eleazar was an expert horseman though and it only took him a moment to get the horse under control, but by then Edward and James had pulled ahead.

James was moving his mount so close to Edward's that even the tiniest of movements could have sent the horses crashing into each other and Edward was calling out for James to lay off. But, of course James only smirked at this and used his reins to whip Edward across his chest.

Letting out a hiss of pain as he felt the sting of the leather through the fabric of his shirt, Edward moved away from James to avoid any further attacks and to keep his horse safe. He knew this was going to cause him to fall behind, especially since they were so close to the finish line, but gosh darnit, he liked his horse too much to put it at risk. He knew that the funny business would stop now since the spectators were within sight, but James mischief had been enough to cause him to pull back and had probably caused him to lose the race.

Just when he saw James pulling ahead and he started to curse under his breath, thinking that James was going to win he saw a streak of gray out of the corner of his eyes and couldn't help but let out a whoop of excitement as he saw Eleazar racing past him, a determined look on his tanned face as he leaned forward in the saddle as he raced past James and crossed the finish line a few moments later.

James was just a few paces behind that and Edward rounded out the top three, almost having caught up to James again. The rest of the riders came in as stragglers, Laurent being the last among them as he came in with a gash on his forehead that was bleeding quiet profusely. Edward was a bit surprised to see Tanya's sister rushing up to Laurent to check if he was all right, but before he could think too much on it, his family and friends were around him, congratulating him on his strong finish.

He didn't tell them about the incident with James that had happened during the race and just smiled crookedly, thanking them. Emmett was there with him along with Carlisle, Esme, and Tyler. Just as he was going to ask where Bella was he heard a commotion coming from across the crowd of people that were milling about after the race.

"_¡Ese pendejo es el que debe 'star pidiéndole perdón a mi marido!_" Carmen was saying at the top of her lungs.

Making his way over along with Emmett he scowled as he saw Eleazar frowning and trying to move his wife away from James and Laurent who were glaring at Eleazar like they were ready to pound on him. When he saw that Bella was standing nearby with Alice he started to push himself through the crowd, feeling a sense of dread that something awful was about to happen.

It was obvious that James and Laurent were trying to take the fact that they had lost the race out on Eleazar despite their use of dirty tactics. All three men's horses were standing restlessly nearby, disturbed by the atmosphere and the actions near them. Eleazar had just managed to pull Carmen away even as she continued to hurl Spanish profanities at James and Laurent when he turned to say something to the men. Then everything happened so quickly. James threw a punch and Eleazar, despite being an older man, was quick enough to dodge it, but James' fist connected with his horse's shoulder, startling the animal that reared up on its hind legs and started to kick out.

The other horses were spooked and some reared up and tried to bolt. There was chaos among the people standing nearby. Eleazar was simultaneously trying to shield Carmen while trying to pull her away and Edward felt as if his heart stopped when he saw both Bella and Alice go down amongst the panicked horses.

He barely heard Jasper's scream of "ALICE!" just as he screamed out, "NO, BELLA!"

**0O0O0O0**

Translation:

"_¡Ese pendejo es el que debe 'star pidiéndole perdón a mi marido!_" = "That jerk should be the one apologizing to my husband!"


	34. Chapter 34

The scene was chaotic. People were yelling, pushing, and two of the horses that had bolted through the crowd of spectators had knocked several people down. Edward pushed his way through the crowd and he felt Emmett right behind him.

"What happened! Is Bella all right!" There was definite panic in Emmett's voice as they both tried to push through the crowd of people.

Edward's heart was hammering in his chest and as he finally made it to the spot where Bella and Alice had gone down he paused a moment, horrified and relieved all at once. Bella was kneeling there, her arm hanging limply at her side, looking stunned and pale, her eyes locked on Alice's unconscious form on the ground in front of her. Eleazar was trying to calm a nearby horse and Carmen just stood by with a stunned expression.

Edward scrambled to kneel down next to them, taking Bella's arm and shaking it a bit he gasped out, "Bella! Are you all right!" But, he snatched his hand away as she let out a moan of pain when he touched her arm. "Jesus!" he said under his breath and looked to Alice who was lying there without moving.

In a panic he turned his head to the crowd that was gathering around them and barely took in the sight of Emmett standing there pale, looking as if he were going to be sick. Instead, he was looking for his uncle. But, before he could continue to scan the crowd, Jasper was pushing his way through and when he saw Alice lying there he paused a moment, all the color draining from his face and then he was on his knees next to Alice. Jasper barely managed to choke out, "Alice…" and Edward barely had time to register the look of anguish on his face when Carlisle made his way through the crowd and without a word he was pushing Jasper out of the way and kneeling next to Alice, who eyes were already fluttering open.

"Alice!" Carlisle said firmly. "Alice, can you hear me?"

Alice eyes shifted to the crowd standing around her and then she moaned and closed her eyes.

"Alice, can you tell me what hurts?" Carlisle asked.

"My leg…my arm…" she groaned out even as Carlisle reached out to run his hands along her limbs, checking for injuries.

Alice whimpered when his hand moved along certain portions of her left arm and leg and Carlisle frowned. "Broken arm and a broken leg. We need to get her to the clinic so I can splint it up properly." He looked up to Esme, who was standing next to Emmett who hadn't moved from the spot he was at, still looking shocked by the scene before him. "Esme, dear, please go and get the supplies I'll need ready." Carlisle turned his gaze to Edward. "Edward, I need you to carry Alice carefully to the clinic…"

"I'll do it," Jasper said adamantly.

"No, I'll do it," said Emmett, finally stepping forward. Jasper's jaw clenched and he looked as if he were about to argue, but then he just gave Emmett a stiff nod.

"I don't care who does it," said Carlisle with a frown. "Whoever it is, just be sure not to jostle her about."

Emmett nodded and stepped forward, but Carlisle hadn't moved and he was looking at Bella who was still kneeling next to Edward on the opposite side of Alice. She looked pale and in shock.

"Bella, are you all right?" Carlisle asked.

Bella nodded and whispered weakly, "I'm fine, Dr. Cull…"

Before she could finish Edward interrupted with a frown. "Something's wrong with her arm, Uncle C."

Eleazar finally spoke up from behind them. "_Yo creo que la niña se lastimo el hombro. Ella es la que paro al caballo cuando se asusto._"

Carlisle looked to Edward for a translation.

"He thinks she hurt her shoulder stopping the horse after it spooked," Edward frowned, looking at Bella.

"Dislocated shoulder most likely then," Carlisle sighed. "Bring her to the clinic too and we'll set her up after I work on Alice."

Emmett was looking at Bella with concern, but she wasn't meeting anyone's gaze and was just looking at Alice. With a sigh, he moved down next to Alice and carefully started to lift her up. Alice sniffled and was crying a bit which made him feel uneasy. Meanwhile, Jasper's heart was breaking nearby with every little tear that she shed, but not once did he think of leaving Alice's side. He wouldn't do so until he was sure that she was all right.

Edward was helping Bella to her feet and every little movement seemed to make her cringe which just made him wince right along with her. Carmen stood by with a look of concern and after giving Eleazar a kiss and making sure he would come along after securing the horses, she followed the group along as they made their way towards the clinic.

At the clinic Emmett waited out on the front porch with the others as Carlisle worked on Alice with Esme in the exam room. The clinic really was no more than a small room and an office at the front of the Cullen's house so there wasn't enough room for everyone to be inside. Bella was sitting in the office, waiting for her turn with Carmen and Edward and Jasper and Emmett had been told to wait outside the space being too crowded for all of them.

Eleazar had eventually joined them and they had all stood there in silence till Jasper's deputies, Ben and Eric, had come along to talk to him. Jasper had stood off the front of the house, speaking in angry, hushed tones to both and Emmett just watched quietly before he spoke to Eleazar.

"So, my sister stopped the horse from doing more damage?" Emmett asked. "I guess she's the one that took hold of the reins?"

Eleazar just nodded.

Emmett ran his hand tiredly over his face. "Suppose it could have been worse then."

Eleazar just nodded again and placed his hand on Emmett's shoulder, squeezing it a bit in a gesture of comfort.

Jasper came back onto the porch after Ben and Eric left and he frowned. "Seems Mallory's boys have headed out of town, probably back to the ranch. Unfortunately, there's not much we could do anyway. They were after Eleazar and the girls getting hurt was an accident." He gritted his teeth as he said the last part. It was clear that he was upset.

Emmett and Eleazar both frowned and it was Emmett that asked, "So that's it?"

Jasper scowled. "Well, those boys know better than to show their faces in town for a while."

Nothing else was said as Esme came out and said in a soft voice, "Jasper, can you come and carry Alice up to the guest room? I think Carlisle wants to have a brief word with Emmett before he works on Bella's shoulder."

Jasper didn't have to be asked twice and he was rushing inside the house followed by a weary looking Emmett.

Before Emmett had even entered the exam room, Jasper was already carrying an unconscious Alice, following Esme up the stairs.

As Emmett came into the room, Carlisle looked up at him with a bit of a smile. "She's going to be all right, Emmett. Both were clean breaks and she was rather lucky all things considering. I just wanted to talk to you because I don't think that a journey back to the Big E is a good idea. I've given her laudanum for the pain, but jostling her about in the back of a wagon isn't going to do any good, and I'd much rather have her nearby so I can keep an eye on her in case she develops a fever or infection."

Emmett frowned and held his hat in his hands. "Well, if you think it's best, doc. I'd pay for her room and board of course, and, well, Bella's hurt it seems so I can have Carmen stay to take care of her if she's willing…" Though he was already trying to figure out how the homestead was going to run with Carmen and Alice gone and Bella injured.

"Oh, no, that's not necessary. I've already spoken to Esme and we'd be glad to have her as a guest in our home as long as it takes her to recover."

Emmett nodded and said quietly, "I really appreciate that, doc."

Carlisle just smiled. "It's nothing, son. Go and call your sister in for me, would you please?" He turned to get things ready to pop Bella's should back into place. Emmett nodded and turned to go. "Oh, and Emmett?" Emmett paused at Carlisle's words and turned to look at him. "I know you're a bit squeamish so you might want to wait outside while I treat your sister."

Emmett turned even more pale, stuck his hat back on his head and went to fetch Bella.


	35. Chapter 35

Bella sat stiffly in one of the chairs of Carlisle's office as she waited to be treated. She looked pale and her face was drawn tight with pain, but she didn't complain. Edward sat next to her fidgeting and looking just as uncomfortable, wishing he could help her, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do. Carmen was fidgeting as well, trying to keep herself from tidying up Dr. Cullen's office in her nervousness.

"Do you need something, _m'ija_?" Carmen asked for the hundredth time since they'd come into the office as she brushed a stray curl away from Bella's shoulder in a motherly gesture.

Bella just shook her head and managed a tight smile.

Edward saw the look on her face and scowling he looked to the closed office door, as if he could stare daggers at his uncle through the wooden panels. He was frustrated. His emotions had been up and down all morning, starting with the adrenaline rush of the race, the encounter with James during said race, the happiness of Eleazar winning and his coming in third, and then there'd been the horror of Bella and Alice's accident. Now he felt completely helpless, unable to help Bella though he knew she was in a lot of pain. Of course, he realized that Alice's injuries were graver and that she had to be treated first, but that didn't make the waiting any easier.

Every time he heard footsteps, whether they were Esme's light ones or Emmett's loud ones he almost jumped out of his skin, hoping that they were coming to get Bella to get her arm taken care of. Each time he almost got up, Bella would smile at him, rest a gentle hand on his arm using her own good arm and say something like, "Give it time," or "I'm all right." Honestly, he found her brave front in the face of all this both admirable and downright annoying. How could she stay so calm when he felt like he was sitting on a pincushion?

When Emmett finally did come into the room he stood up and looked at him. Emmett looked from Edward to Bella and back again before he shook his head and sighed. "You can take her in." Before Bella could even stand Edward was lifting her up carefully, carrying her towards the exam room.

She gritted her teeth as the movement jarred her shoulder a bit, but she bit back the pain and managed to give Edward an amused look. "I can walk, you know?"

Edward nodded, a strained look on his own features, and Bella could tell that nothing she said was going to improve his mood. Carlisle smiled at both of them as they entered the exam room and he motioned to the table in the center of the room. "Just set her down there, Edward."

As he set her down Bella gave Edward a soft smile and whispered, "Thank you." Edward got lost in her chocolate brown eyes a moment and couldn't help but give her a bit of a crooked smile back as he moved to stand to one side. He wasn't going anywhere.

Carlisle had actually gotten some sheets and was rolling them up, even as he spoke to Bella. "Now, I know that this hurts a lot, Bella. You're actually handling this a lot better than some grown cowpokes that put on tough faces most of the time. I've seen grown men like that crying like babies when they get this type of injury."

Bella just gave him a bit of a smile in response.

"Edward, I'm going to need your help." Carlisle explained to Edward that he was going to put the rolled up sheet around Bella and Edward was going to have to pull, pulling her in one direction while he pulled in the opposite direction and slipped Bella's shoulder joint back into place.

"Now, Bella, I ain't going to lie to you. This is going to hurt. It's going to hurt worse than you can imagine, but you'll feel better right after." Carlisle's finished, talking in Bella's direction.

Edward paled a bit more, but his chiseled jaw was firm with determination as he moved to do what Carlisle asked of him.

Edward took hold of the rolled up sheet that was wrapped around Bella and pulled just as Carlisle had directed him to while Carlisle went to take Bella's arm. One moment they were all there, looking between each other and in the next moment Carlisle said, "Pull!" With that Edward pulled and so did Carlisle. The shoulder joint popped back into place and Bella let out a loud cry of pain and immediately fainted, Edward barely letting go of the sheet in time to catch her before she completely fell off the table. "JESUS CHRIST!" he cried out.

Hearing his sister cry out like that, Emmett rushed into the room like an angry bear. Seeing Bella looking dead white and limp as a rag doll in Edward's arms he blinked, turned around, ran back outside and threw up.

After Bella had been set up with a sling made from a piece of cloth and been given directions to come directly back to town and more specifically the clinic she'd been helped out to the waiting wagon where Emmett was sitting by Edward, who had not left her side since the accident. She'd wanted to visit with Alice, but Carlisle assured her that Alice would be out for a while due to the laudanum he'd given her for the pain and she'd only agreed to go back to the Big E when Edward assured her that he would bring her for a visit later in the week.

In the foyer to the house between Carlisle's office and the exam room, Edward paused before stepping out front, knowing this was the only bit of privacy that he and Bella were going to get. He shifted Bella's weight in his arms a bit — he still hadn't let her walk more than a step — and she looked at him questioningly as he started to speak.

"Bella…" he frowned a bit and whispered, "You were very brave with what you did today. I'm sorry you got hurt though. When I saw those horses go wild I…" He sighed and just shook his head.

Bella smiled a bit at him. "I'm glad I could stop it from being worse."

He nodded and looked as if he were about to say something, but then he just leaned in and brushed his lips softly against hers.

Bella went very still in his arms a moment and when he pulled back after the brief kiss she looked at him with doe-like eyes that were round with shock.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Edward stammered, but before he could say anything else, she leaned in and this time she kissed him, letting her lips linger against his a bit longer than before. At that moment she felt this delicious tingling feeling in the center of her chest that just seemed to spread all over her body and she didn't want it to end.

Edward felt exactly the same way, though the sweet kiss was also accompanied by a tightening of his pants. As her lips lingered on his he groaned and tightened his arms around her which made her pull back from the kiss with a groan of pain and he blushed and whispered, "I'm sorry."

She wondered if he was sorry for the kiss or because he'd caused her a bit of discomfort, either way she smiled and whispered, "It's all right."

At that moment Emmett could be heard bellowing out from outside. "Is everything all right in there?"

Edward gave her a lazy, crooked smile and whispered, "I'm staying here since I'm helping my aunt with something in the morning, but I'll see you tomorrow evening at supper."

Bella nodded and her eyes never left his even as he carried her out to the wagon and gently placed her up front next to Emmett.

Even as Emmett clicked his tongue and snapped the reins and they began to drive off away from the Cullens, Bella turned in her seat and watched him, a soft smile playing on her lips.

The whole drive home Bella was reliving the kiss over and over again in her mind. It was like nothing else in this life had mattered up until that kiss. His lips, his taste, they had been as intoxicating as if Carlisle had given her a good dose of laudanum, she couldn't think of anything else.

Of course, Emmett had to break the spell though. When they got closer to the Big E he broke the silence.

"Are you not talking to me or something?" He asked in a grumpy voice.

His voice and his question just reminded her of the whole situation with Rosie. It was like an ice bucket of cold hard reality that intruded on her daydreaming.

"What do you want me to say, Emmett?" she asked in a cold, clipped tone.

"You in pain or something? You sound like momma did whenever I got caught sneaking out or ruined one of her vases horsing around."

"You know, Emmett, it's a good thing momma's dead, she'd be ashamed of you!" she said in a rush.

Emmett looked stunned and little by little his face started to turn into a bright shade of red. "Bella…" he barely managed to get out without exploding.

"I saw you, Emmett Swan. I saw you in that alley last night with Rosie."

Now Emmett turned completely pale and looked as if he were going to be sick.

"I talked to Rosie, too," she continued.

Now he just looked shocked, but he still didn't say anything.

"How could you, Emmett. How could you do this to Alice? You bring her out here when you know you're in love with someone else? Not only that, but you keep going with Rosie even when you have Alice right here. What is she supposed to do, turn a blind eye while you go off into alleys to…to do _that_? That just isn't right and momma brought you up better than that!"

Emmett still seemed stunned and didn't seem to know what to say as he pulled to the front of the house.

"Well, I'm not going to let you do it. I'm not going to let you ruin Alice's life like that even if you are my brother!"

Despite the pain in her arm she didn't wait for him to come around and help her off of the wagon and she climbed down in a hurry and ran inside the house while he sat there looking completely mortified.


	36. Chapter 36

Esme went upstairs after supper to check on Alice. Carlisle had assured her that she would be able to wake Alice up in order to give her a bit of soup and another dose of laudanum. He didn't want to give her too much, but she needed a couple of good days of rest to start the healing process and ward off any other problems like infection.

She pushed her way into the guest room carrying a tray holding a bowl of oxtail soup and a small bottle of laudanum, though she nearly dropped it when she saw Jasper sitting there, just looking at Alice sleep and she exclaimed, "Jasper!"

He immediately straightened up and hurried over to take the tray from her. "Let me help you with that, ma'am."

She let him take the tray from her and continued to look at him with surprise. "I thought you'd gone home a while back when everyone else left."

Jasper shook his head and went to set the tray on the bedside table. "No, ma'am."

She waited a moment to see if he would say more, but no further information was forthcoming. "Well, um, I see." Though she actually didn't. "Has she woken up at all?"

"No, ma'am," he said again tiredly. "She's been a bit restless in the last hour or so."

"Oh?" Esme asked, coming closer to the bed and tucking the blankets around Alice after checking her for a fever.

"Been talking in her sleep some," Jasper said.

Esme looked at him, but didn't ask him to divulge what Alice had said. "Well, I was going to wake her to see if she'll take some soup and a bit more laudanum for the pain if she wants it."

Jasper nodded and made no move to leave, instead he moved to a corner of the room and stood there silently, watching.

Esme gave him a curious look, but shrugged and moved to Alice's right side, avoiding the left side since that was where she had the broken arm and leg. She shook her gently and whispered, "Alice? Alice, dear? Can you wake up for me?"

Alice started to come to with a groan and mumbled, "Please, Sister Agnes, just a little longer." Esme stifled a chuckle. "Alice, wake up, dear."

Alice's eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked around in confusion. When her gaze rested on Jasper, she tilted her head a bit on the pillow, and let her eyes rest on him a moment before they moved to Esme and she asked sleepily, "Where am I?"

As Esme explained everything, Jasper stood by, watching, giving Alice a bit of a smile whenever her gaze drifted his way. Even as Esme started to feed her some of the soup he was a silent, strong presence in the room and it seemed like he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

After Bella ran inside Emmett just sat in the wagon, feeling ill right down to the very core of his being. A million things were running through his mind.

Bella had talked to Rosie.

Bella was going to tell Alice.

Bella was disappointed in him.

Bella had seen him in the alley with Rosie.

The more he thought about these things, the sicker he felt and he barely spoke a word as Tyler came to get the wagon so he could put it up and unhitch the team of horses that they'd been using.

He went into the house and went straight into his office, closing the door behind him. He was itching for a drink, but instead of making his way to the liquor he sat behind his desk and turned to look out the window.

Honestly, he didn't care the Bella had talked to Rosie. He'd wanted the two of them to meet since the moment Bella had gotten here. Rosie was important to him and he really did love her. He also didn't care if Bella told Alice, he'd come to the conclusion that he was going to have to break things off with Alice himself that morning before she'd gotten injured. As a matter of fact, he knew he was being a bit of a chicken shit as he sat there, hoping that Bella would break the news so he wouldn't have to.

What he couldn't stand was the fact that his sister was disappointed by him and that she had caught him with Rosie in that alley. He couldn't even imagine what she must think of him.

Leaning back in his chair he closed his eyes and had to swallow back tears at the look of disillusionment in Bella's eyes. It was such a sharp contrast to the look of utter adoration that he remembered seeing in her eyes when she'd been a little kid. He remembered how his friends had made fun of him when he'd take her everywhere he could.

When he was younger, he'd always wanted a kid brother, but as years went by he figured that that would never happen, so when Bella had come along when he was eight years old he was surprised and instantly smitten. His parents had laughed at how overprotective he'd been of her and it was obvious to everyone that Bella adored her brother to pieces. He'd probably spent more time with her than either of his parents had…until he'd left.

One of the hardest things he'd done was leave Bella and his mother when he'd turned twenty. Bella had only been twelve years old at the time and it had broken his heart they way she'd cried and clung to him the day he left, asking him not to go.

Even now he wanted to cry as he thought about it. It'd taken every ounce of strength not to cry when he'd seen Bella sobbing in his mother's arms while his mother cried silent tears.

Sitting there, thinking about that day, he realized how much he missed his momma. She'd always been the one that understood his need to get away and be different. He doubted that he would have made the trek out west without her support and encouragement. He always figured that someday he would see her again, but of course, that was never going to happen now.

Bella looked so much like her and even that hidden inner strength that she had was so much like their mother's. Bella was right though. His mother would have been disappointed in him.

Since Bella's arrival he had not had the opportunity to think about the fact that his parents were gone and at that moment he swallowed a lump in throat, trying to swallow back the tears that were threatening to burst forth like a broken dam. It seemed to hit him all at once that he'd lost his father, his mother, and now with his foolish behavior, it was possible he'd lost the respect of his baby sister. He also didn't have the one person his heart desired above all others…Rosie.

Emmett Swan was a bear of a man, large, muscular, and he was also one of the richest men in the area and owner of the biggest ranch in the area, but at that moment he felt like everything he cared about was slipping through his fingers like sand. Leaning his elbows on his knees he hunched forward with his face in his hands and cried for people he'd lost, the mistakes that he'd made, and the things that he felt he would never have.


	37. Chapter 37

When Bella woke up the next morning she stayed in her room for a while instead of going down for breakfast. She'd had a restless night and she really didn't want to see Emmett. She felt a bit guilty about going off on him the way that she had, but it needed to be said and he needed to hear it.

She loved her brother; she always would, but she couldn't excuse his behavior any longer. It still made her sick to think that Alice's heart was going to be broken, but it was better that her friend was unhappy now for a while rather than entering a life where she would never find real happiness. And, she knew that in the end, Emmett would have never been happy either.

Shifting around in bed she winced at the pain in her shoulder and sighed, closing her eyes again, perhaps she would spend the whole day in bed.

Just as that thought flitted across her mind, there was a knock on the door and Carmen came in without even waiting for an answer.

"_Buenos días, niña_. How are you feeling?" Carmen came in and set a tray on the bedside table and leaned over the bed, peering down on Bella. "_Pobre, niña_. I really am sorry about yesterday, none of that would have happened if I hadn't said so much."

Bella smiled a bit at her. "Oh, it's all right, Carmen. It certainly wasn't your fault."

Carmen leaned over and kissed Bella's forehead. "Now, let me help you sit up so you can have your breakfast. You are going to rest that shoulder today and stay in bed. No arguments." She smiled and helped Bella to sit up and then moved the tray, setting it on the large bed next to Bella so she could reach anything she wanted on it.

"I made you some tea that should help with the swelling and the pain. I'll also help you adjust that scarf you're using as a sling and get you some reading material from _El Patrón's_ office so you can have something to do here for the rest of the day. He has so many books, more than anyone I have seen…"

Bella picked at a piece of tortilla that was sitting on the tray even as Carmen continued to walk around the room, randomly tidying up things, though she did take a few bites whenever Carmen stopped to glance her way.

When Carmen left the room to get the books she promised she closed her eyes and sighed. She'd come to love Carmen, but honestly, right now, she just wanted to be alone. She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling a moment before she turned her attention back to the tray of food. She knew that Carmen would never let her get away with not drinking the tea or eating a bit more.

Somewhere in the middle of eating a bit more and waiting for Carmen to return with her books she had dozed off, when she woke up the tray was gone and it was obviously early afternoon judging from the way that the light was streaming through the windows.

She shifted in bed and groaned at how stiff she felt and a deep voice spoke softly from nearby. "Hold on there, beautif…uh, Bella. You're probably really stiff and sore though if Carmen gave you some of her tea that should help," Edward said.

She blushed a bit and started to sit up, though it wasn't easy with her shoulder the way it was and he leaned forward to help her. "Easy does it."

She couldn't help but blush and smile as he adjusted the pillows behind her before he sat down on a chair next to the bed.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," he said with a sheepish grin.

"I'm all right. Your uncle said I should feel better in a couple of days."

He nodded. "Good."

For a moment they just sat there, smiling at each other like fools, then he seemed to snap out of it and turned to the bedside table. "I brought you some books. Carmen asked me to pick them out and bring them up to you since she got busy with other stuff. I think they must be some of Em's favorites since the covers seem pretty well worn…"

She looked at the books that he set on the bed next to her and she felt her heart ache when she saw what books they were. "These…these were our momma's books," she whispered in a choked up tone.

Edward looked at her a moment and finally asked quietly, "Were they now?"

She nodded, running her fingers along with worn leather covers. "She used to read to us from these books when we were little." She swallowed back tears. "I didn't know she had sent them to Emmett."

Looking at them, it was obvious that Emmett had handled the books a lot.

"Did I do wrong by picking these out for you?" Edward asked in a worried tone.

Bella looked up at him and shook her head. "Oh, no! These'll do just fine. Thank you Edward."

He nodded and looked hesitant a moment. "Bella, I…"

But, before he could say anything else Carmen was coming in through the open door to the room carrying yet another tray. "I have your lunch, _m'ija_."

Edward sighed at being interrupted and moved to stand. "Maybe when you're up for it I can give you a ride to town so you can visit with Alice a spell." He looked like he wanted to say more but then he shook his head and glanced at Carmen. "If you need anything just tell Carmen and she'll let me know."

Carmen nodded in agreement and shooed him out of the room after she set the tray down, telling him that Bella needed her rest.

As Carmen moved around the room talking about how things seemed so quiet without Alice, Bella sat there in bed, wondering what Edward had wanted to say.

More of her appetite had returned probably due to the fact that she had lunch at a somewhat late hour. After eating most of the meal that Carmen had brought her and the tray had been taken away she lifted up one of the books Edward had brought for her.

She flipped through the pages of the book and tilted her head when she saw a letter fallout from between the pages along with two tintypes. She picked up the photographs first and felt like she was going to cry again when she saw that one was a picture of her mother, holding a chubby baby Emmett when he couldn't have been more than two years old. The next was a family portrait. Their mother was sitting down with their father standing behind her, his hands on her shoulders both with rather serious expressions that contrasted sharply with a ten year old Emmett's grinning face; he was holding a grumpy looking two year old Bella in his arms.

She laughed a bit at the picture and wiped at her tears. She remembered her mother telling her about the day that picture had been taken. Their father hadn't wanted to take a portrait, their mother had insisted, though her mood had soured considerably with the argument she had with her husband over it. Bella had been colicky at that time and only Emmett had really been excited at the idea of taking the picture. What their parents didn't know was that Emmett had really been smiling because he had come up with a plan. Later that afternoon when their parents had continued to argue, he had run away to join the circus, taking a crying Bella with him.

When he was found a block away, wheeling a crying Bella in a wagon behind him that also contained his favorite toys, he had explained to his parents what his plan had been. He was going to grow up to be the strong man and would train in the meantime and Bella could play a midget until she got older, then she could become the beautiful lady that rode around standing on a running horse.

Bella couldn't recall if her mother had told her whether or not Emmett had gotten punished, but she did remember her mother saying that Emmett always included Bella in his grand plans.

As she sat there, looking at the portrait, she wondered when things had gone wrong. Had the separation over the years made it so he no longer trusted her? Had he changed so much that he no longer had morals and scruples?

She sniffled and put the pictures back between the pages of the book and picked up the letter, wondering if it was one her mother had written to Emmett, but when she unfolded it she recognized Emmett's own handwriting…

_Dear Momma,_

…_.._


	38. Chapter 38

_Dear Momma,_

_I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. I know that there's no excuse, but do know that thoughts of you, Bella, and even dad cross my mind all the time. I really do miss you all very, very much._

_Thank you for your last letter and package. Getting books out here is a bit difficult and I probably have the best library in the west due to all the books you've sent me over the years. I remember your reading from the book when Bella and I were just kids. Hopefully I'll be able to read it to my kids someday._

_I know what you're thinking when you read that. You're wondering when that's going to happen. Well, I'm working on it, though in my usual fashion I've made a complete mess of things._

_You see, there's the woman that I have fallen head over heels for. I've actually loved her from the first moment I saw her when I first arrived here in Spoons Valley. I know you're wondering why I've never mentioned her in my letters before, but it's a bit complicated. People here don't think she's suitable, but if they only got to know her they'd perhaps see her differently. I know that you wouldn't judge her that way because of the way I feel about her. You did always say that you just wanted me to be happy and I remember how you were the only one in our social set that didn't bat an eyelash when Mr. Angeles married that woman who used to be his housekeeper. It was a scandal at the time, but you just smiled and mentioned how happy they looked together._

_The girl I'm in love with makes me happy, momma, but the problem is that she doesn't want me. I've asked me to marry me several times and she's turned me down each one. Maybe she doesn't love me? I don't know. Sometimes I look in her eyes and I swear that she does, but why would she continue to refuse me?_

_Now, on to the stupid thing I've done. Thinking that the girl I love would never agree to marry me, I sent off for a mail order bride. I know that you're probably shaking your head at me right now, but I just don't want to be alone here at the ranch anymore. I want a wife and a family. Is that so wrong? Am I a bad person for wanting these things even if they can't be with the person I'm in love with?_

_I wish you were here to give me guidance, momma. I miss you and Bells so much and every year it gets lonelier and lonelier despite the fact that I've made good friends here. I would give anything to have you hear to talk to, though I know right now you'd be giving me the evil eye as Carmen calls it because of what I've done. Please, don't tell Bella any of this. I don't want her to think badly of me._

_I also wanted to write and let you know that I'll make good on my promise this year and come and visit for the holidays. I mean it this time, but don't be surprised if I bring a bride with me._

_I love you, momma._

_Your boy,_

_Emmett_

Bella noticed that the letter was dated a few days before her arrival. He'd probably never had the chance to send it off.

She wiped away her tears and folded the letter back up, sticking it back between the pages of the book. Though she figured a lot of people wouldn't see it, she could tell how much Emmett was hurting over Rosie by reading the letter. At that moment she also wished that their momma was there to give them both some advice.

Later that evening, Emmett came up to her room, carrying her supper tray.

He looked so lost as he stood sheepishly by the door and asked in a hesitant tone, "Can I come in?"

When she nodded he made his way in and set the tray on the bedside table. "How you feeling, Bells?"

"I'm still a bit sore and the whole right side of my body is stiff, but I'm all right," she responded. "How are you doing, Emmett?"

He shrugged and shifted around nervously on his feet. "I'm all right I guess."

She nodded and watched him. It was obvious that he didn't know if he should go or stay.

"Wanna sit?" she asked.

He nodded and sat down, after a while he finally broke the silence. "Listen, Bells. About what happened, all this stuff with Rosie, I just…" He sighed and looked to the floor, his shoulders hunched and he whispered, "I love her. I really do, Bells, and I know, I know I've done wrong by Alice and I'll make it right anyway that I can, but…I can't marry her. I can't marry her because I know that I'll never be able to give Rosie up."

Bella sat there in silence and she whispered, "Do you remember what momma used to say when we found ourselves facing a dilemma that we thought we couldn't fix?"

He looked at her and waited for her to continue.

"She used to say that everything happens for a reason and that if we just followed our hearts in the end everything would turn out the way that it should and we would be all right. She told you that when you made the decision to come out here."

Emmett frowned a bit. "She told you about that?"

Bella nodded. "It was her way of explaining to me why you left. Though I didn't understand it as a twelve year old, I get it now. I was faced with a similar dilemma before I came out here. I didn't have to come, you know?"

"Bella, you know you're welcome here…" he started.

She held up a hand and interrupted. "I know, Emmett, but the point is I didn't have to. I had a choice. I could have stayed and built a life in Chicago, but I followed my heart and came out here and so far, well, I think that things are turning out all right and I'll be all right in the end. I mean, I'm a little hurt that you didn't tell me about Rosie in the first place and that I found out about her the way I did…"

They both blushed beet red at that point.

"Uh, yeah, I'm _really_ sorry about that," Emmett said, his tone clearly showing his embarrassment.

_So am I_, she thought.

"Well, at least it was me and not Alice. If it had been her, well, she might have been either devastated or have dragged you off to church to confess your sins or something, though I can't image what Reverend Newton's face would look like if you had to talk to him about _that_."

Emmett couldn't help but let out a startled laugh as she joked with him about it.

"You have to tell Alice though, Bear. You can't keep stringing her along."

With a sigh, Emmett nodded. "I know."

"I think she'll be all right though," Bella said with a bit of a smile.

"Oh?" Emmett asked with a tilt of his head.

"This _is_ Alice we're talking about Emmett. Or did you forget how slick she is at handling things?"

They both laughed at that.

Jasper was behind his desk. He'd avoided work since yesterday when Alice had gotten hurt and he would have taken another day to keep her company if he didn't feel that it would be unfair to Ben and Eric. Sighing he thought of Alice, up in Doc Cullen's house, sleeping in the guest room. He'd been there since they took her there from the scene of the accident and hadn't left till this morning. Of course she'd been out the whole time due to the laudanum, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed sitting there, just watching her sleep.

He'd also been intrigued when she'd started talking in her sleep. She kept talking about different nuns, Sister Agnes, Sister Mary, and some others, and the little dear even said parts of prayers in her sleep. At other times, she cussed like a sailor and he'd been surprised by the types of words that had passed her delicate, little cupid bow lips.

The girl certainly was a mystery. And, with each passing moment he was falling deeper and deeper in love with her even though he knew she would never be his.

He tried to distract himself from these dreary thoughts by looking through the papers on his desk. Ben had left the latest papers to come from some of the nearby towns for him to look over and he frowned when he noticed that the violence and crime was increasing. Stores and banks were being robbed and people were being killed. He didn't know why the violence hadn't touched his small town, but he was grateful.


	39. Chapter 39

After spending a whole day in bed, Bella was ready to be out and about. She felt a bit better about things after talking with Emmett, though she still worried about Alice and how things would turn out after Emmett broke the truth to her.

It took her a while to get dressed since her shoulder was still a bit sore, but she managed to dress and put on her sling with Carmen's help. Afterwards, Carmen made her sit at the kitchen table and served her a huge breakfast. She couldn't help but smile at all the food that was set in front of her. It was such a large serving that she was sure that not even Emmett would be able to finish it.

As she took small bites of the steak and eggs she wondered what she was going to do for the rest of the day. Sewing was out due to her arm as were most of the chores that she could help Carmen with. She could read some more she supposed. Just as those thoughts were going through her mind she heard the screen door open and close. As she looked up and saw Edward, she couldn't help but smile even as Edward smiled crookedly back.

"Morning, Carmen…Bella."

"_Buenos días, Eduardo_. I thought you had gone out with Emmett to check on the herds on the west side of the ranch."

Edward shook his head. "No, ma'am. Emmett thought Bella might want to go and see Alice and I volunteered to take her." He looked to Bella. "If you want to go that is."

Bella smiled. "I'd love to!" She started to get up when Carmen stopped her, "No, you need to eat more than that, _niña_. How do you expect to get well if you don't have your strength?"

It was obvious that Bella was intimidated by the copious amount of food that was on the table in front of her, but Carmen obviously wasn't going to take no for an answer. At this point it was Edward that interjected.

"Uh, Carmen? You do realize that you served her more food that you even fed Em this morning, don't you?" He was trying to hide the amusement in his voice.

Carmen pursed her lips and gave an evaluating glance to Bella's plate and without preamble she picked it up. "I'll serve the leftovers to _El Patrón _for lunch."

Bella let out a sigh of relief and Edward snickered a bit at her expression as he said, "Good idea, Carmen. We both know he'll eat anything. Besides, Bella won't be too comfortable riding if she's too full."

Bell blinked. "Riding? But, I can't possibly control a mount well with my arm and shoulder like this."

"Uh, you won't have to," Edward responded, nervously running his hand through his messy hair. "Shall we go?"

There was a look of confusion on Bella's face as she nodded and got up from the table. She went up to Carmen and gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing the older woman to blush.

Edward smiled in Carmen's direction as he held the screen door open for Bella and stuck his cowboy hat back on his head. "Carmen, we'll probably be home late so don't expect us for supper. I think my aunt is expecting us to stay for dinner."

Carmen nodded and smiled. "Go! Go! Give Alice my love."

Bella smiled brightly over her shoulder at Carmen. It was obvious that she was excited.

As Edward walked with Bella to the side of the house he smiled at her. "I'm sure Alice is going to be happy to see you."

"I'm excited to see her, too," Bella responded. "I just hope she's doing all right."

Edward nodded. "I'm sure she is. My uncle and aunt will take good care of her."

Bella smiled softly at that and rested her fingers lightly against his arm. "Oh, I have no doubt about that."

As they reached the side of the house she noticed that only his horse was saddled up.

"Uh, Edward? How exactly are we getting into town?"

"Well, I figured you wouldn't be able to ride on your own and Eleazar is supposed to use the wagon today to take some supplies out to one of the outposts. And, I thought the wagon would jostle you about a bit more than riding. So, I thought, well, maybe…if it's all right with you…I mean…"

She stood there, waiting for him to get it out even as he started to blush a bit. "You wanted me to ride with you?" she finished for him.

He nodded, lifted his hat up off his head just long enough to run his hand through his hair and then he looked down at the ground and kicked at a rock.

"Well…"she said after a moment. "That seems like a rather logical thing to do."

He looked up at her in surprise. "It does?" Then he coughed and quickly added, trying to sound more sure of himself. "It does." He nodded and gave her a crooked smile. "C'mon."

As he led her to the horse she was glad she'd chosen to wear one of the split skirts that Alice had made for her, having chosen it for comfort. When they reached the horse he smiled. "I'm going to lift you up first and then climb up behind you…if that's all right."

She just nodded, already blushed, though she turned an even deeper shade of red when his hands went to her waist as he lifted her up onto the back of his horse. Once she was settled there he put his foot in the stirrup and climbed up behind her, his arms going around her as he reached for the reins.

Both of them felt a jolt at the close contact and he actually shivered a bit as he started to lead the horse in the direction of town.

This was going to be interesting.

The first part of the ride was done in complete silence, neither of them saying a word. Bella was distracted by the way his breath was stirring the tendrils of hair that had escaped her bun and were now resting against her neck and the way his arms felt around her.

Edward was too busy trying to think of things that he was hoping would prevent him from getting physically aroused. One, that would probably scare the shit out of her since it would be rather obvious in their close proximity, and two, that would be a damned uncomfortable state to be in riding a horse. He liked Bella. He liked her _a lot,_ and it was more than just a physical thing, but having her so close was wrecking havoc on his body. She smelled sweet and her backside nestled against him in the saddle was…He pushed those thoughts away and tried to think of other things. Of course, it was only partially working and even as he thought of manure, work, and even Emmett's naked ass, his thoughts kept wandering back to Bella…and his cock. It was like his penis had a mind of his own. His thoughts were already turning in the direction of endless nights with Bella in his arms when she interrupted them with a question.

"Won't he get tired?"

He jumped a bit in the saddle, his mind irrationally making the connection that she was asking whether or not his cock would get tired and that just put all sorts of wrong images in his mind. "What?"

"Won't your horse get tired? I mean, he can't be used to carrying two riders at once," she said, not noticing his strained tone.

"Oh, uh, no. No, he'll be fine. Chester's a good horse," he replied.

She turned a bit in the saddle to peer over her shoulder at him and she smiled. "Chester?"

He gave her a sheepish smiled and shrugged. "He's a chestnut color, ain't he?"

She chuckled. "Well, Chester's certainly an interesting name. Not really original though if you just named him after his color."

He snorted. "Well, I could say the same thing about Twilight."

She chuckled and shrugged, turning to face forward again. "True."

He smiled. "Chester will be fine. One time, when Em and I were out checking on some of the herds, his mount bolted and though I was going to make him walk I was nice enough to let him ride back on Chester with me. Horse didn't seem in the least bit strained. So I'm sure he'll be fine. You weigh nothing compared to your brother."

_And, this is much_, much_ more comfortable than having Emmett sitting behind me with his arms around my waist. Course I didn't have to worry about getting a hard on then_, he thought.

"Poor Chester," Bella said, patting the horse's neck.

"Poor Chester?" Edward replied. "Poor _me_. Your brother was hugging be from behind and fell asleep with his cheek against my back. He drooled all over me. Man, can that man slobber!"

She laughed.

"It wasn't the most comfortable ride of my life. This is much nicer."

She smiled, blushed and leaned back a bit against him.


	40. Chapter 40

They spoke and laughed the rest of the way to town and when they stopped in front of the Cullen's house he hopped down and helped her down from the top of the horse. He knew she could have dismounted rather easily all by herself, but this was just another excuse to touch her. Now that he'd had her so close for over an hour during the ride he wasn't ready to let go so easily.

As he carried her down, his hands on her tiny waist, he smiled at her. She smiled back, blushing, one hand resting on his shoulders and they just stood there a moment, looking at each other. For a moment it seemed like he was leaning in, ready to kiss her again when he shook his head, as if he were trying to clear his mind, gave her a crooked smile and tucked her good arm through his and turned to lead her inside.

He knocked, but didn't wait for an answer as he made his way through the front door and called out. "Uncle C? Aunt Esme?"

Esme peeked over the railing upstairs and smiled. "Oh, hello, you two. C'mon up. Carlisle is just checking on Alice." And, with that she disappeared again.  
Edward let Bella go up the stairs first and he was the one that was blushing now as he looked at the way the fabric of her skirts swished and fell over her rear as she walked in front of him. That cute bottom of hers had felt nice nestled up to him in the saddle before and he congratulated himself again on the idea to have her ride with him into town.

As they made their way into Alice's room they both saw that Carlisle was holding back a chuckle and Alice was lying there, propped up against the headboard with some pillows, pouting.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed at seeing her. "Dr. Cullen just told me it's going to be a couple of months before I can really do much. Months, Bella!" she huffed.  
Bella glanced at Carlisle and Esme saying a soft hello before she turned her attention to Alice. "Well, as long as you do get better, Alice. It could have been worse."

"Worse? I can't sew. I can't even walk!" Alice was obviously not happy.  
Edward chimed in at this point. "Bella's right, Alice. You could have had your head bashed in if she hadn't of stopped that horse."

Alice frowned, looking irritated, but even then she just nodded at Edward's words, apparently agreeing. Turning to Bella she asked, "How's your arm, Bella?"

"Oh, it's all right, Alice." She moved to sit on the chair located next to the bed and almost missed it completely, but before she could fall Edward discreetly pushed the chair forward so she wouldn't miss.

Alice noticed the gesture and smiled at him then asked, "Did Emmett come?"

Bella answered, "Uh, no. It's just the two of us." She blushed, but it wasn't clear if she was blushing because her brother hadn't come or because Alice new she had been all alone with Edward.

Alice smiled glancing knowingly at Edward as she and Bella went into a conversation about the accident and the fair.

Excusing himself from the room Edward made his way downstairs, his aunt and uncle having left moments before, and gave the ladies some time to talk and catch up.

As he made his way downstairs Edward was surprised to see Jasper coming in through the front door holding a bouquet of wild flowers. Both men stopped, looked at each other then at the same time their eyes dropped down to the flowers and snapped back up again. Edward looked confused. Jasper looked like a startled deer that was ready to bolt.

"Uh…" Edward uttered, not exactly sure what to say at this point, so he just came out and said what was on his mind. "Who the flowers there for, Jas?"

Jasper turned pale and almost panicked as he looked around. It was as if he were looking for a means of escape. At that moment Carlisle came out of his office and Jasper thrust the bouquet into his hands, startling the good doctor.  
"Here you go, doc!" Jasper said.

Carlisle blinked and said, "Um, yes. Well…thank you?" He seemed just as confused as Edward looked.

Nodding, Jasper turned and walked out again without another word.  
Edward scratched the top of his head. "What was that about?"

Carlisle blinked down at the bouquet of wildflowers and simply said, "I have no idea."

Alice and Bella had been talking for about an hour when Esme came in holding an old, chipped porcelain pitcher with the bouquet of wildflowers in it.

"Those are lovely, Esme," Alice said as she watched Esme put the flowers on her bedside table, "but, you didn't have to do that."

"Oh, I didn't," said Esme with a soft smile. "Jasper came by…and gave them to Carlisle."

"Carlisle?" Bella asked, obviously surprised.

"Yes, first time anyone's given my husband flowers. I wonder if I should be jealous," Esme chuckled.

Bella looked to Alice with wide brown eyes and as their eyes met, they both started to giggle. Esme joined in.

Esme turned to Bella and said, "Jasper's been here as much as he can to see that Alice is doing all right."

Now it was Alice's turn to blush.

"Has he?" Bella asked curiously, looking from Esme to Alice.

"Yes," Alice said, and then looked at her with a bit of a smile. "He's just being nice is all."

"I think it's a bit more than that," Esme said softly. "You don't really think that these flowers were for Carlisle, do you? I mean, he's a handsome man and all, but really."

Bella just sat there looking thoughtful. She studied the way Alice was just looking at the hand resting on her lap, refusing to meet anyone's gaze as Esme spoke and reaching out she squeezed Alice's hand.

"Alice, do you like Jasper?"

There was a hopeful tone in Bella's question that Alice didn't quiet hear and she looked up, the expression on her face very similar to the one Jasper had on his when Edward had caught him with the bouquet of flowers. The only difference was that Alice didn't have a way of escaping both Bella and Esme's curious looks and she promptly burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" she cried. "I can't help it! I'd…I'd never dream of hurting," she hiccupped, "hurting Emmett." She hiccupped again between little gasping sobs. "I'll marry Em…" hiccup, "Emmett of course. I just…" She let her voice trail off as she sniffled and cried into her hand.

"Oh, Alice! Don't cry, it's okay. I…I have to tell you something about Emmett," Bella frowned, rubbing Alice's arm soothingly. "It'll be okay."

"No…no it won't." Alice was trying to keep from breaking out into full-fledge wails of despair now.

"Alice, please, listen to me," Bella pleaded.

All this time, Esme stood there, wide eyed, watching. This was better than any play that Carlisle had ever taken her to see when they went to Chicago. She was fascinated…and distressed for Alice of course.

"Emmett, well, Emmett and I had a talk and he…he can't marry you Alice. He can't marry you because there's someone else," Bella said. "So you see, it's all right if you like Jasper!"

Alice blinked and stopped crying for a moment, but instead of the words soothing her she started sobbing so loudly that Esme had to run for Carlisle, afraid that Alice was going to dislodge the splints as Bella hovered around her, trying to figure out what her best friend was so upset by news that was supposed to make her happy.


	41. Chapter 41

Edward sat at the kitchen table, looking up as his aunt came into the room carrying the pitcher of flowers that Jasper had given to Carlisle and which she in turn had taken up to Alice's room.

"Everything all right?" he asked with concern in his voice.

Esme sighed and set the flowers in the center of the table before she sat next to him. "Yes, she's calmed down some."

He arched a brow, "Some?"

She nodded. "She's not crying anymore, but she says she doesn't want to talk about it."

"Uh, Aunt Esme, what happened exactly?" Edward asked, looking rather confused.

She hesitated and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, I'm not sure it's my place to say."

"Were…were the flowers Jasper brought for Bella?" he asked with a frown.

"Bella? What? No! I'm pretty sure they were for Alice," she answered quickly.

"Alice?" Now it was Edward's turn to look astonished. "Jasper…likes Alice?"

Esme rested her head in her hands and actually rolled her eyes. "You men can be so dense sometimes. Carlisle was just as surprised and that's because he's been here the last couple of days watching as Jasper hung around this place like a lonely puppy."

"He has?" Edward asked. "How could I have missed that?"

"Well, I guess you had your own things to worry about." She smiled. "So…Bella…"

Now Edward was shifting around in his chair uncomfortably. "Yeah, what about her?"

"Don't play coy with me Edward Anthony Masen. Fess up, you like her!" She chuckled.

He sighed and ran his hand through his already messy hair. "Yeah, well…"

"_How much_ do you like her?" Esme pressed.

"I don't know, Aunt Esme." He frowned and leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the table and his head in his hands and he continued in a quiet voice. "She's the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing I think of at night. It's almost…almost like nothing in the past matters as long as I know I have a future…" _with her_, he thought, but didn't say out loud.

But, Esme put it into words for him. "You want a future with her," she whispered softly. He nodded in response.

She smiled and reached out to squeeze his arm. "This is a _good_ thing, Edward."

"Is it?" he asked with a frown. "I'm nothing but a poor cowpoke that works for her brother, Aunt Esme. How am I supposed to take care of her? Provide for her?"

Before Esme could answer, they heard light footsteps coming down the hall towards the kitchen and Bella walked in a moment later. She looked troubled, but when she saw Edward a smile lit up her face. In turn, he gave her a small, crooked smile back.

"I'm sorry, but Dr. Cullen…" before she could say anything else she was interrupted by Carlisle's voice behind her.

"Carlisle!" the doctor called out.

She smiled. "I'm sorry, but _Carlisle_ was wondering if lunch was almost ready."

Esme arched a brow. "Is my husband sending you in here begging for food on his behalf? I swear that man has no shame!" Shaking her head she stood up from the table and made her way past Bella. "Excuse me, dear."

Edward sat there chuckling as Bella looked over to him. "What was that all about?" she asked.

"Well, Carlisle likes to eat at the same time, like clockwork. Unfortunately, that gets a bit on my aunt's last nerves. He knows better than to ask when a meal is going to be ready so he usually gets other people to ask for him. Last time he asked himself she served him a stake that looked more like a lump of coal."

Bella chuckled softly and went to sit. "Did she?" she asked.

He nodded. "Made him eat the whole thing too. Uncle C had stomach cramps for days after that."

They laughed together at that.

"Alice doing all right?" he asked.

She frowned a bit and looked at her hands which were clasped on the table in front of her. "I'm not sure. I think I should have waited to break the news to her about Emmett."

Edward arched a brow. "What about Emmett?"

Bella blushed. "Oh, well, um, I told her that it was probably best if Emmett didn't marry her. Because, well, there's someone else, you see."

"Ah," was all he said and nodded. He turned to look at the flowers.

"Well, it seems that Jasper has a thing for her…" he let that thought trail off.

"She says she can't be with Jasper," Bella frowned, also looking at the flowers.

"What?" Edward asked surprised. "Why ever not?"

Bella shrugged. "She won't say, but she said it's impossible." She sighed and continued, "If you ask me she's just being stubborn. Stubborn as my brother's been. Pig-headed fools. It's a good thing they probably aren't getting married or their children would be born with heads as hard as rocks."

Edward smiled at that. "I'm sure things will work out."

She nodded and sighed. "I just don't understand. Alice told me right now that life isn't a fairytale and I shouldn't always expect happy endings, but if you find someone, someone you love and want to spend forever with, shouldn't that be enough?" She blushed. "Sorry, I must sound so naïve."

He shook his head and whispered, "No, it makes perfect sense to me." He licked his lips nervously and looked down at his fingers which were playing with the cuffs of one of his shirts. "So, if you found someone…"

"If I found someone I wanted to be with I don't think I'd let anyone or anything keep me from them," she replied.

He nodded, not daring to look up, afraid that she'd see the hope in his eyes. "Good to know," he said quietly.

They sat there silently for a moment and then she whispered, "Really was sweet of Jasper to bring her flowers…even if he did give them to your uncle."

He snickered a bit. "The look on Carlisle's face was priceless."

She chuckled just as they heard a pair of footsteps coming down the hall.

"Esme," Carlisle was whining, "It wasn't because of me. I swear it! Alice's stomach was growling and it just got me thinking about food is all."

Bella decided to help Carlisle out and spoke up, "It's true, Esme. Alice did say she was a bit hungry and her stomach was growling."

"See!" said Carlisle and as Esme turned to look at Bella he gave her a very grateful look.

"Hmmm," Esme said, obviously still suspicious. "Well, it's a good thing that lunch is just about ready." She turned her gaze back to Carlisle. "I guess I can feed you now."

The look of relief on Carlisle's face was almost comical and Edward and Bella both tried not to laugh.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Carlisle said and then gave Esme a kiss on the cheek. Thinking he was being discreet he even reached behind her and pinched her rear lightly, but of course Bella and Edward noticed as Esme blushed and giggled like a school girl.

Bella blushed, but smiled, and wondered if she would ever have that kind of relationship. Even as she let that thought wander through her mind, she let her eyes drift in Edward's direction and she blushed even more when he winked at her, giving her a crooked grin.

Yes, she was definitely beginning to believe that she could have that some day.

* * *

Things were getting desperate and time was running out. He was going to have to do something that he didn't want to do, but it was the only way.

So far he'd been doing well, keeping things at a distance, making sure that nothing happened close to home, but as time went by he realized that that would be unavoidable. The raids and attacks on distant towns wasn't enough anymore. He needed _more_.

A golden opportunity had presented itself with the Volturis' proposition of bringing the railroad to town. It was all he needed.

And, wasn't it worth it in the end? Yes, he'd be bringing the trouble right to his front door, but in doing so it meant that the trouble would stop in other places, innocent lives would be spared. And, it wasn't like the violence would last here forever. Once the railroad came to town that would be the end of it, and if a few innocent lives were damaged along the way…well, everything came at a cost.

* * *

**A/N: I am republishing this chapter because the line break I included did not appear and caused some confusion. The end of the chapter includes an unknown character's perspective. It is NOT Edward!**


	42. Chapter 42

Bella and Esme had lunch with Alice and Bella sat with her again for the rest of the afternoon. It was a bit of a strained meal though since Alice didn't seem to be herself and was acting quiet and withdrawn. The rest of the day was spent with them both sitting mostly in silence, reading, and with each passing moment Bella worried more and more about Alice, even though Alice kept assuring her that she would be all right.

Jasper had shown up again, as he had for the past couple of days, and he had dinner with Alice while the Cullens, Bella, and Edward had dinner downstairs. Of course Jasper had completely avoided looking or talking to any of them much, seeming embarrassed when he first came in and looking sad and worried when he left.

Bella had enjoyed her time with the Cullens and Alice, even if she was worried about the latter, and she was a bit sad to see the day come to an end, but Edward told her that they would be chasing daylight as it was and they left soon after supper.

Despite the fact that Edward had said that he wanted to get back to the ranch before it got too dark out, he seemed to take his time, letting Chester stroll towards the ranch at a leisure pace once he and Bella were on their way.

Truth was he didn't want the day to end.

It was nice to have Bella close to him, sitting in front of him in the saddle again and he kept replaying their short conversation in the kitchen over and over again in his mind. Would she really want to be with him no matter what? He felt a glimmer of hope that she would. Seeing her interact with his family had warmed his heart and it was just like she was a puzzle piece that they hadn't realized that they were missing.

As they rode in the dusky light, Bella broke the silence between them. "Thank you for taking me to see Alice and spend some time with your family." Being with him all day as he interacted with his aunt and uncle had allowed her to see who he really was and get to know more about him and she really was very grateful for that.

"Oh, it was no trouble, Bella," he replied.

"Still, it was nice of you to do," she said, looking over her shoulder at him as they rode along. Her heart melted as she saw him give her a crooked smile.

"Well, you're quite welcome. I'm glad you had your shoulder checked and had a chance to visit with Alice. Perhaps I can take you again soon."

She smiled. "That would be nice." She kept looking at him a moment before she turned her gaze back ahead.

Edward smiled to himself, glad he was able to make her smile, and he only paid a little attention to the road, most of his concentration on her. He was fascinated by the pale, smooth skin of her neck and the way the light breeze that was in the air played with the tendrils of hair that didn't quite reach her bun and lay at the nape of her neck. He blushed a bit and cleared his throat as he suddenly had the silly urge to kiss the skin there and he didn't even realize that his arms had closed in around her just a bit more.

Bella's own gaze had been on Edward's hands as they held the reins in front of her. She could see the rough calluses between his fingers from holding the reins and the patches in other places that came from years of hard work, but despite this she found them to be surprisingly elegant. His fingers were long, and slender, but were still masculine and obviously strong. Her fingers, which were resting on the saddle horn in front of her were itching to reach out and touch his, causing her to blush as she tried to turn her gaze as well as her thoughts in another direction. That's when she felt his arms tighten around her a bit and her natural response was to lean back against him ever so slightly.

His breath caught in his throat and he went still as he felt their bodies come even closer, wondering for a moment if she were falling asleep. But, as he peeked down at her and saw the blush on her cheeks he realized she was awake and he smiled to himself and leaned forward a bit so she was fully leaning against him. It didn't take long before the tension left both their bodies and they both rode in comfortable silence, just content to be close.

They rode like this for some time as dusk closed in around them, the day's light almost completely faded away. At this point they were close to the ranch and Edward slowed the horse to a stop when the homestead came into view in the distance, still not ready for his day with her to end.

Bella didn't even question why they'd come to a halt and just sat there, letting out a sigh, also sorry that the day had to be over.

As the horse shifted underneath them she turned her head, which was now resting against his shoulder, to look at him and she gave him a soft smile.

It was a smile that he didn't return as he looked at her intently. Without really thinking about what he was doing he shifted the reins to one hand and his now free hand moved to rest on one side of her waist.

The smile faded from her lips as she bit on her lower lip and blushed, but her brown eyes never left his green ones, too caught up in the passion she saw there.

Everything around them seemed to fade away as the hand that was on her waist slowly moved, sliding around her so that his fingers splayed out against her stomach for a moment before moving to the other side of her waist so his arm was wrapped around her midsection. As he tightened this arm around her, hugging her close so she was pressed back completely against him, she finally released her lower lip from the grasp of her teeth as she let out a soft gasp, her eyes going wide. The sensation of having him pressed up behind her was making her feel lightheaded and she felt an unfamiliar tightening of the muscles at the apex of her legs that was accompanied by a warmth that seemed to spread throughout her, but despite this warmth, she felt her body shiver as if she were cold.

They sat there like that for only a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity for both of them. Then he leaned in and his lips brushed against hers as softly as a butterfly's wings, moving against a flower petal, and they both let out soft sighs that almost sounded as if they were both relieved by the contact. Then he kissed her again, letting it linger this time as his lips closed her around hers, lightly tugging, caressing.

She responded in kind, her lips closing and opening against his as the kiss continued. This only went on for a few moments before she felt the tip of his tongue lightly brush against her lips and gain entry as she gasped in surprise.

She never imagined that kissing could be like this as she felt the velvety sensation of his tongue brushing against her own, caressing her own tongue and coaxing a response from her. Responding on instincts alone, her own tongue moved against his and she realized at that moment that a kiss wasn't just the meeting of lips, it was tasting the other person, feeling them, and getting to the point where you wanted nothing more than to consume them and be part of them.

As the kiss continued Edward let out a soft moan and he slowly pulled his lips away from hers, slowly retreating as he moved his tongue away and then placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. Letting out a soft, sigh he finally opened his eyes to look at her with a smile and he whispered, "I should get you home."

Blushing, Bella smiled back and nodded, giving him a soft, shy smile back.

He placed one more quick, tender kiss on her lips before his arm slipped from around her and went to take the reins again. It was as if something unspoken passed between them then and she sat up again so that she was no longer leaning back against him, but both had undeniably content smiles as they rode into the homestead.


	43. Chapter 43

Alice had slipped into a bit of a depression and hadn't been behaving quiet like herself since Bella had broken the news to her about Emmett wanting someone else. Truth was that she didn't really care that she wasn't marrying Emmett. Honestly, things were probably better this way for both of them. She already thought of Emmett and Bella as family, but for a while she had suspected that her feelings towards Emmett were more sisterly than wifely, but she figured that God had brought her to Spoons Valley for a reason and she would have tried her best to make a good life with him…even though she felt her heart flutter every time that she saw Sheriff Jasper Whitlock.

She had initially felt that God was testing her, seeing if she would do the right thing. She was engaged to be married to Emmett and that was the right path. It was actually her saving grace really, because if she hadn't been engaged to Emmett she would have had leave to explore her feelings for Jasper, feelings that she shouldn't have, feelings that she shouldn't have because she could never be with him no matter what.

Before Bella had broken the news to her about Emmett she had tried to hide her feelings for Jasper when he had stopped by to visit by chattering with him about various things, engaging him in conversation about nothing in particular. She told herself he was just being nice coming to visit, but sometimes when she caught him smiling, she knew better. That was when she was thankful for her engagement to Emmett. Nothing could happen between her and Jasper as long as she was engaged so Jasper wouldn't pursue her.

Now, there would be nothing holding Jasper back. She had a feeling that if he knew that she was no longer going to marry Emmett that he'd be courting her and dragging her down the aisle…and not necessarily in that order. And, though she wished that it could be that simple, she knew it wasn't. She could marry him — after all, she knew deep down that she already loved him — and maybe they would be happy, at least until the truth came out, and she had no doubt that the truth would come out one day, and then he would hate her.

The evening after Bella's visit when Jasper had come to have supper with her like he had the previous evening, he had actually been the one to do most of the talking and she had barely listened, laying there propped against the pillows, listless and unhearing for the most part. Jasper, who was usually a quiet man, actually was the one talking away, trying unsuccessfully to draw her into conversation and when she didn't respond to his efforts he grew worried and had gone after bidding her a goodnight.

He was determined to make sure she was all right though and he returned the next day and the next, but she continued to behave in the same melancholy manner. Finally, wondering if this had to do with Emmett still not having visited, he decided to broach the subject.

"Alice?" When she didn't respond and kept her face turned away from him as she stared out the window he reached out and rested his hand on her small one which was lying on the bed next to her. "Alice?"

She turned her head and looked at him, waiting for him to say something more.

"Alice, you…are you upset because of Emmett?" he asked softly, his heart already hurting in anticipation that her answer would be yes.

At the mention of Emmett's name, her eyes started to fill with tears.

His heart just about shattered then and there and he cleared his throat and continued, "I'm sorry that he hasn't come to visit you. It ain't right of him since you're going to be married and…"

Before he could continue, Alice burst into tears and covering her face with her good hand she sobbed, "Emmett isn't going to marry me."

Jasper blinked, his hopes rising for a second only to be dashed with the realization that she wouldn't be crying if she wasn't in love with Emmett. She wanted Emmett, not him. And, damn it all to hell, if that's what she wanted, that was what she was going to get.

"Yes, he will," Jasper said with a determined look.

Alice just continued to cry into her hand, her small shoulders shaking as she sobbed and shook her head.

He watched her for a moment and then he stood up angrily, slamming his hat onto his head and he turned to leave without another word. He went downstairs, almost knocking over a startled Esme who was coming up to check on him and Alice. He barely said excuse me and went outside, mounted his horse, and rode like the devil was at his heels towards the Big E.

Emmett was going to marry Alice, even if Jasper had to hold a gun to his head for him to do it…and even if it would kill him to see the woman he'd fallen in love with marry someone else. And, if Emmett refused, well, then he'd kill him.

Emmett had been hiding out on the range, using the excuse that he had to check on some of the herds so he could avoid talking to anyone. He knew that Bella was going to make him go and talk to Alice and that was certainly a conversation that he wasn't looking forward to even if she had confessed that she had already kinda spilled the beans. He was already getting plenty of disapproving looks about the whole situation from Carmen and even Eleazar was frowning a bit more in his direction.

Then there was this thing between his sister and Edward. Yesterday, after they'd gotten back from their visit to town, he could tell that something was different. He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but it didn't take him long to notice the lingering glances and the smiles when they glanced each other's way. His sister had fallen for Edward and his friend's feelings seemed to be mutual towards Bella.

It wasn't that he wasn't happy for them. He knew that Edward was a good man — despite his past — and even though he was only a cowpoke now, he knew that his parents had left Bella plenty. She was actually probably the second richest person in the area right behind him. Not even Mallory's wealth could touch what Bella had.

He was just sad at the thought of losing his baby sister to anyone. After all, he'd only gotten her back himself.

As he thought about Bella he remembered their conversation the previous evening when Bella had told him about her visit with Alice. He was sad to hear how Alice had cried at the revelation that he couldn't marry her and hoped he wasn't breaking her heart, but deep down he knew he was doing the right thing. Bella insisted that he had to go talk to Alice himself and when he had made excuses, saying that he was busy and would go as soon as he could, he tried to ignore the disappointment he saw in her eyes.

As the conversation replayed in his mind, he didn't even noticed that he had turned his mount in the opposite direction from the herd that he'd been going out to check on and was now heading towards town. He was almost halfway there when he realized what he was doing and he smiled a bit to himself. Perhaps he was going to have that conversation with Alice after all.

He knew that Alice didn't love him, and he would be one of the first ones to admit that she could probably do better. Somehow, he had a feeling that Alice was going to be all right…and so was he.

Just as that thought flitted through his mind a gunshot rang through the air and he felt a searing pain as he flew back off his mount.


	44. Chapter 44

Emmett had had the wind knocked out of him when he fell off his horse, his bicep burning from where a bullet had grazed him. He took only a moment to gather his wits as he heard the pounding of his mount's hooves as it ran off, spooked by the gunshot and suddenly being riderless. Scrambling and staying low to the ground, he made his way from the well worn path from that led from the Big E towards town and moved towards a crop of brush in the tall grass nearby. He pulled his own six-shooter out of his holster wondering who was hunting him down.

As he knelt there in the brush, he pulled his dirty bandana from around his neck and wrapped it around the bleeding wound using his teeth, grimacing and letting out a moan of pain as he tightened the cloth enough to staunch the blood flow. Even as he did this he wondered if whoever had shot at him was going to come looking for him. He lay in the grass, trying to ignore in the pain in his arm and catch his breath even as he heard his heart thundering in his ears.

If he was killed, would anyone ever know? He knew that his horse was a good mount and would probably run straight back to the homestead, but by then it would be too late. He could be buried out in the middle of nowhere and no one would know.

What would Rosie do if he were gone? She might have been refusing him all this time, but he had always known that he would take care of her till his dying day despite her rejection. He just didn't know that that dying day would come so soon.

He even spared a thought for Alice, hoping that she would be all right too if anything happened to him. He wasn't planning on marrying her anymore, but that didn't mean that he didn't plan to do right by her in other ways. He cared for that little twister of a woman like she was his sister.

What was going to happen to Bella? Since she was his sister she would be left with everything and if he was no longer the target, then she would become a target in her own right. He took a bit of solace in the idea that Edward would be there by her side. He'd noticed the way that Edward had been looking at Bella and the way she'd been looking back and he knew that if someone were to kill him that Edward would keep her safe. He swore then and there if he made it out of this situation he'd be more understanding.

His hand shook a bit as he checked that his gun was fully loaded and then he sat quietly, waiting. If he was being hunted then whoever had shot him was going to come make sure that the job was done or finish off.

It wasn't long before he heard a horse coming towards him at full speed and then they suddenly slowed. He heard the horse whinny as its rider dismounted and he closed his eyes, sending up a silent prayer that if he were found and killed that God would keep his girls safe. Perhaps the days that Alice had dragged him to church were enough to get his prayers answered.

He heard the footfalls of someone moving close to him on the path and he held his breath, building up the resolve to fight, when he suddenly heard Jasper's voice calling out, tension obvious in his tone, "Is someone out there?"

Emmett let out a sigh and whispered a soft 'thank you' to God before he called out, "Jasper!"

"Emmett?" Jasper came through the brush, frowning, though he stopped short when he saw Emmett's bleeding arm. "Jesus Christ, Emmett!"

Jasper looked around a moment and then he squatted down near Emmett. Keeping his gun in hand he checked the wound and muttered several oaths under his breath. "You've been shot."

"No shit!" Emmett replied with an exaggerated look. "Feels like the devil himself has spit on me."

"We need to get you back to the ranch. I don't think heading in the direction of town is the best idea," Jasper said as he moved to help Emmett up. "Don't put away that gun just yet he said as Emmett got to his feet."

Emmett snorted. "Wasn't planning on it."

"Let's hurry it up then," Jasper said, looking around with concern.

Nodding, Emmett followed him to the path and got up on the horse behind Jasper who started to explain, "I was on my way to the Big E when I heard a shot. I spurred my horse to go faster and stopped when I saw the blood on the trail."

Emmett nodded even as Jasper moved the horse into a stead trot. "I was riding into town and it happened out of nowhere. Any idea where the shot came from?"

Jasper replied. "Sounded like it came from that small thicket of trees further up the path, but I can't be sure. I might have been paying more attention if I wasn't coming over here to shoot you myself."

Emmett started a bit. "Should I be on this horse with you?"

Before anything else could be said they saw two riders coming at them from the direction of the ranch at full speed. Both of them immediately recognized Edward and Bella riding towards them, Bella riding the exact same horse that Emmett had been thrown off of. She seemed to have thrown caution to the wind and her arm was outside of the scarf that she'd been using as a sling.

As they got closer, they slowed their horses and Bella looked at Emmett with wide, frightened eyes as she saw the blood soaking through the arm of his shirt and the bandana that was wrapped around the wound. Her own face was pale and drawn in pain, but her only concern seemed to be for Emmett.

Emmett glared at Edward, about to tear into him for allowing Bella to come along, and Bella had just opened her mouth to speak when Jasper cut them both off. "Bella, I need you to ride back to the ranch at full speed and ask Carmen to get ready to do stitch up Emmett. She might need to cauterize the wound."

Bella blinked at Jasper, shock evident in her face and it looked like she wanted to say something, but Jasper continued, "Go on now. She'll know what to do."

Nodding Bella gave Emmett one last worried look before she glanced to Edward. She turned the horse she was riding around and rode back to the ranch at full speed, dust flying out behind her.

The three of them watched her race away and continued on their way back to the homestead.

"What happened?" Edward asked, looking at Jasper and Emmett as their mounts trotted side by side.

"Someone shot Emmett," Jasper said with a nonchalant shrug, though there was obviously concern written on his face.

"Who?" Edward asked.

Emmett, who had been glaring at Edward this whole time over Jasper's shoulder, replied, "If we knew do you think we'd be going back to the ranch instead of dealing with it."

Edward frowned at Emmett.

Emmett growled. "How the hell could you let her come out here!"

"What?" Edward asked, surprised.

"Bella! What the fuck were you thinking?" Emmett snarled and then groaned at the pain in his arm.

"Do you know your sister at all, Emmett? Do you think I could stop her? When we saw your mount come running into the homestead with blood splattered on its flanks she didn't even hesitate and hopped into the saddle. It was all I could do to reach Chester in time to follow her!"

Emmett nodded, his jaw clenched in pain and he irrationally said, "You should have stopped her."

Edward snorted. "You're just as pigheaded as she is."

Emmett was beginning to regret that promise to be more understanding when Jasper interrupted his and Edward's exchange, "Can you two stop it! Are we forgetting the fact that someone just _shot_ Emmett?"

"Perhaps I should go back and see what I can find," Edward said, looking away from the homestead which was getting closer and back towards the path where they'd come from.

Jasper shook his head. "Ain't safe. But perhaps you can ride back to town with me later and we can check it out. I'm sure whoever it was is long gone."

Edward nodded and looked at Emmett with concern. Over the years the three men had become as close as brothers and the tension that filled the air around them was a result of the concern they felt and the fucked up situation they now found themselves in.


	45. Chapter 45

"_¡Ay, que horrible!_" Carmen exclaimed as she fluttered around Emmett who sat scowling at the kitchen table. She had everything ready by the time Emmett, Jasper, and Edward had ridden into the homestead, Bella having warned her.

Emmett had insisted that he was fine and actually tried to forego Carmen's ministrations when she had shoved him down into a chair, causing him to yelp a bit. She then helped a grumbling Emmett remove his shirt and she looked angry when she examined the wound as the guys, including Eleazar, and Bella looked on.

Bella was nervous standing near Edward who had a comforting hand resting on her back, his hand running soothing circles as he tried to help keep her calm. Of course, the fact that Carmen was so upset and nervous about everything wasn't helping anyone stay calm.

As she checked the wound and kept putting her hand to her heart and saying, "_¡Ay, Dios mío de mi vida!_" everyone was getting more and more antsy till Eleazar quietly left the room and came back a moment later with a bottle of liquor from Emmett's study. Without a word he went to the cupboard and pulled a glass out.

"Well, at least someone is thinking straight," Emmett grumbled as he watched Eleazar pour a glass. "I sure could use a…" Before he could finish Eleazar handed the glass to Carmen who downed it in one shot before she handed it back to Eleazar.

"What the fuck?" Emmett muttered and then he blinked in surprise as Carmen smacked him on the back of the head. "No bad words!" she frowned and started working, cleaning up the wound.

Emmett looked at Eleazar with wide eyes and Eleazar only poured another drink, downed it himself and shrugged before he went to the cupboard, got another glass and poured a drink for Emmett.

Jasper and Edward looked on with discomfort etched clearly on their features while a pale Bella just winced each time that Emmett grunted or showed any sign of discomfort as he was treated. Noticing her demeanor, Edward leaned over and whispered to Bella, "Perhaps we should wait in the parlor?"

Bella only gave him a bit of a smile in response and shook her head. It was obvious that she wasn't going anywhere.

The tension in the room was palpable. Everyone was worried about Emmett, even though Carmen assured them that the wound was superficial. Eleazar poured her one more drink during the stitching, which seemed to help her since she had been whimpering every time Emmett flinched while the needle passed through his flesh. When she was done she wrapped up the wound in clean bandages and kissed Emmett's forehead while Eleazar squeezed Emmett's shoulder. Bella couldn't help but smile at the parental display of affection that both Eleazar and Carmen showed her brother.

Carmen went to get Emmett a clean shirt and eventually everyone found themselves in the parlor. Eleazar was helping Carmen serve up some tea and Edward couldn't help but smile a bit as he noticed Eleazar pouring a bit of liquor into all the men's cups. As a matter of fact only Bella's teacup remained alcohol-free.

As they sat there in silence for a while, drinking "tea" Carmen eventually excused herself to work on making dinner and Eleazar said he had to go work on something in the holding pens. Edward sighed, knowing that Eleazar was going to need his help and he turned and whispered to Bella, who was sitting next to him, "Are you going to be all right?"

Bella smiled and nodded, blushing when Edward kissed the top of her head as he got up. She started to blush even more when she noticed Emmett watching them with a thoughtful expression.

When just Emmett, Bella, and Jasper were left in the parlor Bella turned towards Jasper. "Jasper, can you tell me what happened?"

Emmett frowned and said in a warning tone, "Bella…"

Bella turned and glared at Emmett. "Emmett you were shot and I've kept my mouth shut up to now, but I want to know what happened. I need to know what happened. Someone shot at _my_ brother."

"But…" Emmett started.

"No 'buts' about it, Emmett. I want to know," she replied.

Jasper's lips twitched a bit as he watched the interaction between the two and before their discussion could escalate he interrupted and told Bella what had happened from his point of view.

Bella frowned at the story. "Wait, so you were coming here to shoot my brother?"

"Um, well…" Jasper now shifted around uncomfortably in his seat.

"Why?" Bella asked curiously.

"Why?" Jasper repeated, blinking.

Now Emmett was the one watching the conversation with a smirk.

"Yes, why did you want to shoot my brother," Bella asked.

"Um…well, I was talking to Alice and…um…yes…" Jasper was clearly uncomfortable and continued to fidget, actually looking as if he wanted to run for the door.

"Are you in love with Alice, Jasper?" Bella asked, a curious look etched on her features.

"What?" both Emmett and Jasper exclaimed in unison.

Bella ignored her brother and continued to question Jasper. "Are you in love with Alice, Jasper?" she repeated.

Jasper now had an almost horrified look as his gaze went to a surprised looking Emmett. "I…I'm sorry, Em! I wasn't going to do anything, honest! I can't help….she's just….I'll stay away! I won't get in the way of your marrying her, but you have to marry her, Emmett, she needs you."

Emmett just responded by saying, "You _love_ her? _Alice?_ You _love Alice!_"

Jasper visibly swallowed and bowed his head, looking down at the empty teacup in his hands, wishing for another drink.

"Emmett's not going to marry Alice, Jasper," Bella said quietly.

Jasper looked at Bella, a sad look in his eyes and he whispered, "But, he has to. She loves him."

Bella smiled sadly and shook her head. "No, she doesn't. I think…well, I might "be wrong, Jasper, but I think she has feelings for you."

"Me?" Jasper looked shocked.

"Him!" Emmett responded, just as shocked.

"Well, I don't know why but she kept saying that being with you was impossible. Um, being with Jasper is impossible," she clarified since both men were looking at her intently.

"She wants to be with _me_?" Jasper said incredulously.

Bella nodded, ignoring a stunned looking Emmett.

"She wants to be with me," Jasper grinned now and he put his teacup aside and jumped out of his seat. "I gotta go!"

Bella smiled at Jasper and Emmett still sat there, looking surprised.

Jasper, who was now grinning like a fool, smiling longer than Emmett had ever seen him smile, went up to Emmett and stood in front of him.

"Em, I'm going to marry Alice Brandon," he exclaimed.

Before Emmett could answer Jasper whooped and smacked him on the shoulder, right above his wound, causing Emmett to scream out in pain.

"SORRY! Sorry!" Jasper exclaimed, but he didn't stop smiling and he ran out of the house as Bella rushed up to check on Emmett. Luckily the stitches seemed to have stayed in tact

Emmett looked to Bella as she checked on him. "Alice likes Jasper?"

Bella nodded.

"And, Jasper likes Alice?" Emmett continued.

Bella nodded again.

"Well, I'll be damned," he muttered.

Bella shook her head and wondered if she was the only one that cared that Emmett had been shot and the shooter was still out there…waiting.


	46. Chapter 46

Alice was playing dead. She was hoping that by lying there, unmoving, that her tormentor would leave her alone.

Though she'd been lying there with her eyes closed for what felt like forever, but in reality was only half an hour, the chatter had actually continued. It was as if Jessica Stanley didn't care that she was asleep—well, faking to be asleep anyway— and she just kept talking.

If she didn't believe that God was kind she would have wondered what she had done to deserve this…though she knew that and she ignored the constant guilt that lingered in the back of her mind.

She tried to listen past Jessica's voice and heard someone knock at the front door then she heard Esme and Jasper's voice.

Jasper. Her heart started to beat faster just at the thought of him and it was all she could do to stop from fidgeting since she was still pretending to be asleep.

As she heard two sets of footsteps coming up the stairs Jessica actually stopped chattering for a moment.

"Oh, Jessica, dear," said Esme as she came into the room, "I didn't even realize you were here."

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen! Sheriff! I just thought I'd come by and see how Alice was doing. I mean it was a horrible accident. I was traumatized! I'm so glad she and Bella weren't hurt worse. I wanted to go and see Bella, but my father was busy at the general store and Reverend Mike said he couldn't drive me out, but I thought it would be wonderful if I could keep Alice company and when you weren't here Dr. Cullen let me in…"

Jasper cleared his throat at this point, interrupting Jessica's little monologue and giving Esme a chance to say something.

"Yes, well, I had to run and get something from your father's store, dear," Esme said kindly, "but, we should keep our voices down, I think Alice is, uh, sleeping."

Jessica responded in a loud whisper, "Oh my, I didn't even notice." She giggled and it was all Alice could do to keep from groaning.

Esme responded, "Yes, well, why don't you come downstairs for a nice cup of tea? I asked the sheriff to take a look at the window here, it's been sticking a bit and Dr. Cullen is horrible when it comes to repairs."

Alice could hear Jessica being led off and said a silent prayer of thanks.

"You can stop pretending now, Alice," Jasper drawled, humor lacing his tone.

Alice opened one eye and looked at him. "How'd you know I was awake?" she asked.

"Well," Jasper responded as he sat in the chair next to the bed that Jessica had recently vacated, "you were making some rather annoyed faces even though you were supposed to be sleeping," he chuckled.

She huffed, "That woman could try Job's patience!"

Jasper just grinned at her with a self-satisfied smile.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked curiously.

"You like me," he responded in a self-satisfied tone with a wide grin on his face.

Alice blushed and tried to look nonchalant about his little statement. "Well, yes, of course I like you, sheriff, you've been a great friend."

"You like me as more than a friend," he said as he continued to grin.

Alice looked at him a moment and pain flashed in her eyes so briefly that he missed it. "No, sheriff, we're just friends."

"You're not marrying Emmett so that isn't standing in our way anymore," Jasper's smile had started to fade a bit as doubt started to creep in. She wasn't even calling him Jasper anymore.

"It's not that, sheriff. I just…I don't…I don't have those kind of feelings towards you," Alice whispered, not looking at him. She knew if she did he would be able to tell that she was lying.

Jasper sat there quietly for a while and then he finally said, "I don't believe it."

"I'm sorry, sheriff," Alice responded in a small voice, still not meeting his gaze. When he didn't say anything for a while she got the courage to look up at him and she drew in a sharp breath at what she saw.

While she had been avoiding looking at him, she had missed the hurt in his gaze that had gradually turned into fierce determination. Now, as she finally fixed her eyes on him she saw nothing but the intensity in his features and it took her breath away.

"I don't believe that," he stated simply.

"You don't believe that I'm sorry? Sheriff…"

He interrupted her, "I don't believe that you don't have feelings for me!"

She blinked back tears. "Sheriff…"

"And, _stop_ calling me sheriff! You know my name so use it!"

"J…Jasper…I…I…" She was trying so hard to cry that she couldn't even get the words out, but she didn't even have to try anymore as he suddenly stood up leaned over her, and despite the ferocity in his face, he gently took her face between his hands before his lips swooped down on hers.

The kiss was anything but gentle at first as his hands slipped to the back of her head, grasping fistfuls of her hair as his lips moved passionately, longingly, and possessively against her own. She couldn't help but moan a bit as it continued and slowly changed, becoming gentle, coaxing. She started to respond despite her better judgment and kiss him back.

Now it was his turn to moan.

The kiss continued for some time, his fingers letting go of the grasp they had on her long locks and his fingers moved to gently caress the soft skin of her neck even as her own small hand came to rest on his chest, her small fingers curling a bit against the fabric of his shirt.

When he broke the kiss they were both breathless and his blue eyes met hers and he whispered intensely, "You love me."

She didn't say anything and just continued to stare back at him, her swollen lips parted as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't say anything because she couldn't deny it.

"You love me and you're going to marry me," he said right before placing another, soft, gentle kiss on her lips.

"J…Jasper…I…I can't," she said in a trembling voice.

"You can and you will, Alice Brandon," he said as he straightened up and looked down at her with a scowl. "Now, get some real rest and I'll come and have supper with you later this evening."

She looked up at him, blinking rapidly as she tried to hold back her tears.

He put his cowboy hat which had been resting at the foot of her bed back on his head and tipped it in her direction. "Everything will be all right, Alice dear, you just wait and see."

He winked at her and turned to leave the room.

Alice held her breath as she heard his retreating footsteps and heard him go downstairs and out the front door.

He was wrong. Nothing would ever be all right. And, with that she burst into tears.

* * *

**A/N: ****I'm sorry to disappoint those of you that thought that Jasper and Alice's troubles were over, but nothing is ever that easy. Don't hate me folks, there is a method to my madness and I do assure you that despite all the upcoming troubles and angst, this story does have a HEA.**

**So, anywho, please review!**


	47. Chapter 47

Bella was carefully taking the laundry off of the clothesline, her gaze drifting every now and then to the setting sun in the horizon. As she folded up sheets and towels, dropping the clothespin in a nearby bucket, she wondered if Emmett and Edward would be home at all that evening.

Since Emmett's shooting several weeks ago everyone had been on pins and needles, waiting for something bad to happen, and while there were direct attacks like there had been that day there had been problems on the ranch. Some cattle rustlers had been striking some of the herds that grazed further away on ranch property and Emmett, Edward, and even Eleazar, who usually stayed closer to the homestead, had been going out to check on the herds more often. This kept them away for days at a time and they refused to let her go visit Alice on her own since the shooting.

But, this didn't mean that things were all bad.

She and Edward were spending a lot more time together when he was off the range. Usually they just walked around the homestead, talking and learning more about each other, but there had been a lot more kissing since that first kiss on their ride back from town when they'd gone to see Alice.

She was thinking about the kiss they'd shared behind the barn door just two nights ago. He told her to follow him to the barn under the guise of checking on some new baby goats when he'd pulled her behind the barn door and kissed her. It had started off as a slow, soft kiss that gradually grew more passionate. It wasn't till one of the goats butted him in the rear that he stopped. She laughed at the memory, smiling softly to herself when she heard someone coming up behind her. Turning she grinned when she saw Jasper approaching her.

"Hello, Jasper. What brings you out to the ranch?" she asked as she folded the towel she'd been holding.

He tipped his hat at her and smiled tiredly, "Evening, Bella. Just came to talk to your brother see how things are going."

"Ah," Bella said as she placed the folded towel in the basket by her feet, "I'm sorry to tell you that he's not here. He and Edward said they might be back this evening, but I can't be certain."

Jasper frowned, rubbing his stubbled jaw and chin a bit as he nodded. "I see."

Bella moved to pick up the basket with the clean laundry and started to walk towards the house. "This have to do with what's going on here at the ranch or what's happening around town?" She had heard Emmett, Edward, and Eleazar talking about some robberies around some of the town's outlying residences. Men had been beaten and so far it seemed lucky that no one had been killed.

Sighing, Jasper looked at her wearily. "You know about that, do you?"

Bella nodded and gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to say my brother's not that good at keeping secrets, Jasper. Hasn't been since we were children. He always used to try to keep his mischievous deeds from my mother and she always caught him in the end."

Jasper smiled a bit. "I don't know. I've known Emmett to keep secrets in the past."

Bella nodded, thinking of how long it'd taken her to find out about Rosie. Emmett had risked going into town several times since his shooting to see her and to check on Alice. He always came back looking rejected and dejected. He wouldn't tell her much about what was going on with Rosie and all he would tell her about Alice was that she wasn't herself.

She'd only been able to get away to see Alice once and she had to agree. Alice's bubbly, take no prisoners type of personality seemed muted somehow. It was almost as if Jasper's relentless courting —which Alice had told her all about— was making her depressed rather than happy.

"How's Alice doing?" Bella asked nonchalantly as Jasper followed her into the house via the back porch.

"Oh, well, doc says she's healing up just fine. Faster than even he expected. In a couple of weeks she'll be up and walking around with the help of a cane," Jasper responded.

"Well, that is good news," Bella said. "Maybe she can come back to the Big E after that."

"I don't think that's the plan," he said as he sat at the kitchen table.

"Oh?" Bella said with a smile, hoping that he'd finally worn Alice down enough that she'd agreed to marry him.

"She's going to become the new schoolmarm," he said with a sad smile.

"Oh!" Bella blinked. "Well, I know that's what she used to do before she came out west."

Jasper nodded. He had been trying his best to court Alice and make her see reason. He'd brought her flowers and a ridiculously expensive box of chocolates from the general store. He'd even special ordered a new rosary knowing she was Catholic and how religious she was, but that had just made her cry. Still he kept going to visit her and spend time with her. And, when he kissed her, she tried to resist at first, but eventually she always gave in and kissed him back. Yet, she refused to marry him.

Bella watched him a moment and then she whispered softly, "Don't give up on her, Jasper."

He smiled at her and shook his head, "I won't, pretty lady."

She patted his shoulder and smiled. "Good. Let me get you something to drink."

She went to the pitcher on the counter and smiled seeing that Carmen had made lemonade. As she went to the cupboard to get a glass from the shelf, she asked, "So what's going on in town? Are the problems getting worse?"

Jasper sighed and looked at her warily, as if he didn't want to answer, and he just nodded when she glanced his way.

Walking back she poured him a glass of the lemonade. "No one's been hurt I hope?"

Jasper shrugged. "Same thing as before. Some men have been beaten pretty badly, but they'll heal all right."

"How many homes have been hit?" she asked as she set the glass in front of him.

He sighed and taking his hat off he set it to one side and scratched his head a bit. "Five. They take what little of value that they find, though most of the folks that live out in the parts that they've been hitting are poor folk, so it ain't like they have much."

Bella just sat quietly, listening, knowing that Jasper had probably come to vent to Emmett more than anything. Since her brother couldn't help, she didn't mind.

"I was hoping that we could avoid all the problems that have been plaguing nearby towns, but look like we ain't as lucky as I thought."

"Do you think it's linked to the problems we've been having here at the Big E?" Bella asked.

Jasper frowned. "I take it that's why Emmett, Edward, and Eleazar ain't here? Y'all still having problems with rustling."

Bella just nodded.

"I honestly don't know, Bella, but I can't help but feel that it's all connected somehow," he said.

"You'll figure it out, Jasper," she said with a trusting smile.

He sighed and couldn't help but smile a bit back.

Reaching for his glass of lemonade he took a big gulp and then he shocked Bella as he spit it out, spewing the mixture all over her.

Bella squealed and sat there stunned and now covered in droplets of the lemon scented stuff. She couldn't do more than blink as Jasper got up and went to spit in the wash basin near the water pump. He pumped some water right into his hand and scooped it into his mouth, spitting it out again as he made gagging sounds.

At that moment Carmen walked in and paying little mind to what Jasper was doing and Bella's stunned expression she grabbed the pitcher. "Hm…I thought I had made more of Eleazar's hair tonic."

* * *

**A/N: ****Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm so glad that readers seem to love this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**I know that people have had a lot of questions in regards to Alice's behavior. Yes, there is a reason why Alice thinks that she can't marry Jasper. No, it hasn't been revealed the in the course of the story yet. Yes, it will come out eventually. Please don't forget that Alice seems to have been hiding something since she first arrived in town!**


	48. Chapter 48

Edward was weary right down to his bones. He wanted nothing more than to ride into the homestead and just sit with Bella. He wasn't sure that he even had the energy to talk, but he'd be happy just sitting with her. Of course, he might just have the energy to kiss her a bit.

For several weeks now everyone at the Big E had been run ragged by everything had been going on. Cattle were being skimmed off of the outer herds and he, Emmett, and Eleazar were having to spend time out on the outer sections of the ranch that were a one or two day ride from the homestead. Funny thing was that he wouldn't have cared before Bella came along. Being out on the range with the other cowpokes and the cattle was the norm, wanting to be at the homestead more wasn't, but he wanted more time with his Bella.

Just two days ago they'd been walking around the homestead when he'd gotten the idea to pull her behind the barn door for a kiss. He had gotten her to the barn under the pretense of seeing some baby goats, but before they'd even gotten to where the kids were, he pulled her behind the barn door and had pulled her into his arms. As usual the kiss had started off soft, gentle, sweet, but slowly it had grown more passionate as his arms tightened around her and his tongue peeked out from between his lips to taste her. He loved the way she moved her tongue against his, like she wanted to taste him. And, the way she pressed her body against his when she got lost in their kisses drove him wild.

Even thinking about that kiss as he rode back to the homestead caused him to grow hard and he groaned at how uncomfortable that was in the saddle in such a state, but that was becoming the norm and it was damn painful. Sighing he shifted in the saddle just as Emmett looked over at him.

"You all right, Edward?" Emmett asked tiredly. It was obvious that Emmett was just as tired as Edward was. They were both covered in two days grime and hadn't eaten more than hardtack and stale bread in the last two days. Luckily they would be back home before nightfall and no matter how late it was Carmen would cook for them and they would sleep in comfortable beds.

Edward just nodded in response. "Just ready to get back to the homestead. It'll be nice to get a home cooked meal…"

"And, see Bella?" Emmett asked without looking at him.

Edward looked over at him with a wary look. "Yes, Emmett, I'm looking forward to seeing your sister."

Emmett just nodded, frowned a bit, and looked thoughtful as they continued to ride along heading back towards the homestead.

The silence between them continued for a while when Emmett finally broke it by saying, "Yeah, well, she likes you too." There was a gruff, resigned tone to his voice.

Edward wondered if Emmett was going to say more and when he didn't he smiled a bit and said, "Good."

"You'll do right by her, Edward." That statement by Emmett seemed to be a threat and a declaration of his faith in Edward all rolled into one.

"Yes, Emmett, I'll do right by her," Edward responded. "I love her."

Emmett grunted in response to that.

"I want to marry her, but there are a few things she should know first…about my past and all," Edward said.

Emmett looked thoughtful for a moment. "You're right. You should tell her, but you should put it off much longer. I can understand why you're reluctant and all, but if there's one thing I've learned since my sister's come out here it's that she's a tough gal. Don't underestimate her like I did, it won't matter to her as much as you think it will. She'll understand. You aren't the same man that you were then. You never really were that man. It was just an understandable lapse in judgment is all. You got past it."

Edward nodded and now he was frowning as he continued to ride along thoughtfully. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice that they were within sight of the homestead until Emmett's voice broke into his thoughts.

"That's Jasper's horse. Wonder what he's doing here."

Both of the men dug their spurs into the sides of their mounts and urged them into a fast trot towards the house.

Once there Bella ran out onto the porch, a big grin on her face, obviously happy to see them. "Edward! Bear! You're home!"

Edward dismounted and rushed up to Bella, pulling her up into an embrace as he lifted her clear off her feet and he buried his face against her neck, just taking in her scent. He loved the way she smelled.

Right before he let her go she whispered in his ear, "I missed you."

He smiled and set her back down on her feet and watched as she went over to hug her brother. Emmett also lifted her off her feet and kissed her cheek before he set her down.

"We're getting you dirty, both of us covered in two days' grime," Emmett chuckled tiredly.

"Oh, you know I don't care," said Bella as she was set back on her feet again. "Carmen's just finishing up supper and Jasper's waiting inside talking to Eleazar. He got her just about an hour ago."

Emmett nodded. "We'll take care of the horses and be right in. Can you send Jasper out to the barn?"

Bella nodded, "Sure thing, bear." She turned to head inside, looking towards Edward with a big grin before she slipped inside, the screen door closing behind her.

He just continued staring after her even after she was gone and it wasn't till Emmett clapped him on the back with a chuckle and said, "You've got it bad," that he snapped out of it and moved to lead his horse to the stables.

Edward and Emmett were unsaddling and brushing down their horses when Jasper came into the stables and helped them get their mounts settled in their stalls. The three men worked quietly side by side when Emmett finally spoke.

"Things still getting bad in town, Jasper?"

Jasper nodded and all three men just continued working as Emmett continued.

"We've lost several heads of cattle in the herds that are further out. The men that are out on the range haven't caught anyone, but some of the fences are down. They're understandably worried that they're going to meet whoever the rustlers are face to face and well, we all know that probably won't be pretty."

Jasper nodded and frowned thoughtfully.

Edward looked over at Jasper and asked, "What you thinking, Jasp."

Jasper shook his head. "I'm thinking that the cattle rustling and the attacks near town are connected. I think they're both connected to the things that happened in the other towns. It ain't no coincidence that the attacks and robberies in other towns have dropped off just when things start picking up here. I think they're the same gang and they've just shifted focus is all. We're their new target."

Edward nodded and frowned.

"Mallory reporting any losses?" Emmett asked.

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, but not as many as you."

Emmett grunted in response and closed the stable door, securing his horse for the night just as Edward did the same.

"Thanks for coming out to give us an update," Emmett said to Jasper.

Jasper smiled a bit and shook his head. "Ain't nothing, but it also ain't the only reason I came out here."

"Oh?" Emmett said as they headed back to the house.

"I came to tell you that Bella's present is here," Jasper said with a smile.

Emmett stopped and said with a big smile, "Really?"

Jasper nodded with a smile and Edward and Emmett looked at each other with big grins.


	49. Chapter 49

Bella sat at the front of the flatbed wagon with Emmett next to her controlling the reins. He had this huge grin on his face and even Edward, who was riding next to them on Chester, rifle ready in case something happened, looked excited about something even though he was alert.

She had been surprised when the asked her if she would go to town with them. Though they had let her visit Alice a couple of times over the last several weeks, for the most part they'd insisted that she not make the trip after Emmett's shooting. She had already asked them what was going on, but both of them had said that it was nothing and that they were just going to town to talk to Garrett, the local blacksmith, about some tools and other things they'd ordered and they thought she might like to come along to visit with Alice and Esme for a bit. Of course she'd agreed, but after a while she'd noticed their smiles and the way they were looking at her and she knew something was up.

When the pulled in front of the Cullens' house Edward put his rifle in the holster of his saddle and dismounted, moving to help Bella off the wagon seat.

Emmett didn't get off the wagon and just smiled. "I'll be by to pick you up right after lunch."

Bella frowned as she peered up at him, trying to keep the sun's glare out of her eyes. "After lunch? I thought I would be able to spend the day here."

"Well, there's some things that have to be done," Emmett shrugged, but smiled.

Bella looked to Edward in confusion, but he just gave her a crooked smile and shrugged. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"You're not coming in?" Bella asked, disappointed.

Edward shook his head. "I'm heading over to Garrett's with Emmett."

He kissed her cheek, shrugged again as he noticed Emmett roll his eyes and went to climb onto his mount.

Bella frowned as she watched them ride away and only turned when she heard Esme's voice behind her. "Bella dear!"

Bella turned and smiled. "Hello, Esme."

Esme came up and enveloped her in a hug. "Is that my nephew riding away."

Bella only nodded.

"Wonder why he didn't come in to say hi." Esme shrugged. "Come in. I'm sure Alice is anxious to see you. She's doing much better and though I know Carlisle would like to take credit for her speedy recovery I believe her desire to be able to run away when Miss Stanley comes to visit is hastening her recovery."

Bella giggled a bit and went into the house, arm in arm with Esme.

)( )( )(

True to their word, Edward had returned a couple of hours later sometime after lunch. Bella and Alice had been enjoying her visit with Alice and Esme and she was happy to see that Alice was excited about her new position as the town's schoolmarm. She knew that her brother had come to see Alice at least twice since the accident and everything was settled between them, but she was still a bit worried about the sadness she saw pass over her friend's features whenever Japser was mentioned. But, all she could do was pray that things would turn out all right.

When Edward showed up he had said hello to his aunt and had a brief word with his uncle before he had led Bella outside.

"Emmett didn't come with you?" she asked.

"No, he asked that we meet him over at Garrett's," he replied as he lifted her up into the saddle before he climbed up behind her.

"Oh, all right," Bella replied in confusion, wondering what was going on.

As they rode to the other side of town she smiled to herself as she remembered the last time they had ridden together. It was all she could do to keep from touching her lips at the memory of the kiss that they'd shared.

Edward was remembering the exact same kiss as well as the many others that had followed and it was all he could do not to ride off with her to be alone.

Both of them were so engrossed in each other and their memories that they didn't realize that they were being watched from the shadows, a look of complete jealousy and hate in the watcher's eyes.

As they pulled into the blacksmith's place, Bella was brought out of her thoughts by the sight of Emmett laughing and joking with a large man covered in soot with long blond hair that was pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Both Emmett and the men turned around when she and Edward rode up and Edward dismounted and helped her down off the saddle as both men came forward.

"Hey, Bells. This here is Garrett, Spoon Valley's blacksmith," Emmett said.

Though most women would have shirked at shaking Garrett's soot covered hands, she didn't hesitate and gave him a warm smile as she took his hand in her own. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Garrett."

His blue eyes, which seemed to glow due to the dark smudges on his face, twinkled as he smiled kindly back at her. "Pleasure's all mine, Miss Swan."

"Please, call me Bella," she said.

He nodded. "How are you settling in here in Spoons Valley, Bella? I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to meet. I know my wife, Kate, has been anxious and wanted to welcome you, but she's expecting our fourth youngun and isn't getting around too well now at days."

Bella smiled. "Fourth? Then it's understandable that she's as busy as she is." She looked around. "I hear you do very good work, Garrett."

He chuckled and glanced at Edward before looking back at her. "Yes, especially with things like latches for gates."

Edward looked away as if distracted for something as Bella glared his way. "Ah, Edward told you about that did he?"

Garrett smiled. "No worries. Could have happened to anyone." Though of course she knew he was being polite.

Emmett snorted at that and Edward chuckled a bit and Bella glared at both of them. "You both behave yourselves or I'll let Carmen know that it was the two of you that stole that pie she'd saved to bring to Alice."

Emmett muttered something under his breath and Edward just gave her his crooked smile.

At that moment she noticed someone coming up behind Garrett from the side of the forge. The group turned towards the young Indian man who was walking towards them. He was a big man, easily as muscled as Emmett and Garrett and though he had the same kindness in his brown eyes, that was where the resemblance ended. He had deep tanned skin and long ebony hair that hung halfway down his back and wore buckskin breeches, a cotton shirt, and several beaded necklaces around his neck.

"There you are," Emmett said with a smile as the man came up to them, a bit of a smile on the Indian's face.

Edward smiled and did the introductions, "This is Bella. Bella, this is Jacob."

* * *

**A/N: ****Okay, so I know that there are going to be a few questions. No, the man watching from the shadows wasn't Jacob. No, I have never been on Team Jacob (with all that implies) and never will. That doesn't mean that I'm limiting his role in the story either. No, Jacob is obviously not Bella's present.**

**Also, for those of you that are interested. I have posted 2 outtakes for this story. You can find them listed along with the rest of my stories under my profile. The first outtake is called "Drunken Cowboys" and takes place between chapters 13 and 14. I think the title of this outtake says it all. The second outtake takes place before Lonesome Hearts began and shows Emmett and Rosalie's first meeting. Please read this and enjoy…and reviews wouldn't hurt either.**


	50. Chapter 50

Bella smiled and held out her hand to Jacob. "Nice to meet you, Jacob."

He took her small hand in his own, enveloping her fingers, and gave her a nod and a smile in greeting.

To be honest, she was fascinated. This was the first Indian she had met since coming out west. Sure, she'd seen a few of the Indians that lived in town such as Sue who ran the kitchen at the hotel and her children Leah and Seth, but other than their distinct features and some of the jewelry they wore, they were like any other town folk.

Jacob on the other hand looked more like what she pictured an Indian to be like, the only thing that seemed out of place being the cotton shirt he wore, but when he finally spoke his voice held no hint of an accent like she'd expected.

"Are we ready?" Jacob asked Emmett.

Emmett nodded and grinned. Even Edward and Garrett had big smiles on their faces and she looked at each of the four men curiously and asked, "Ready for what? What's going on?"

Jacob just smiled and turned to walk away. Emmett, looking much like a little boy on Christmas morning, took her hand and pulled her to follow the direction Jacob was heading to the other side of the structure holding the blacksmith's forge. As she got pulled away she looked over her shoulder with a questioning look towards Edward, but he only grinned and followed along with Garrett.

Once they turned the corner of the building she noticed a holding pen and stopped when she saw the most beautiful black horse running around the enclosure. The animal was regal with long legs and a long mane and tail that was held up saucily in an arch as she pranced about the small holding space.

She would have continued to stand there frozen if Emmett hadn't pulled her along to the pens fence where Jacob was standing. When the group of five stopped by the pen the horse stopped prancing about and came up to them, going directly to Jacob who ran his hand up and down the front of the horse's muzzle. The animal had a silky black coat, the only hint of color on it was a crescent moon shape on the center of its forehead.

The animal snorted happily at the attention that Jacob was giving it and then its large, brown gentle eyes turned to Bella and it turned to her and butted her gently in the shoulder. Bella smile and ran her small hands over the horse's head and neck as she looked to Jacob. "He's beautiful."

Jacob nodded, smiled and looked to Emmett. Bella followed his gaze as Emmett said, "She. It's a she. And, she really is a beaut, ain't she?"

Bella nodded and smiled, turning her attention back to the horse. "What's her name?"

"Black Squirrel," Jacob said and then laughed as he noticed her expression of dislike at the name. "It's after an old Indian legend about eclipses. But, you can change it if you want."

"Me?" she asked with wide eyes and turned to look at each of the men in turn before her gaze rested back on her brother's smiling face. "You mean…?"

Emmett just chuckled and said, "She's all yours, Bells."

Bella blinked, obviously stunned and then she jumped and threw her arms around Emmett in a huge hug as he lifted her off the ground and just hugged her back. He just held her for a while and she kissed his cheek then whispered with tears in her voice, "Thank you, bear."

He smiled. "You're very welcome, Bells. You deserve her."

He set her back on her feet as she started to wiggle to be let down so she could see the horse again.

The horse hadn't moved, watching the group with curious eyes, but it stepped forward as Bella reached out to pat her neck.

"Eclipse…I think I'll call her Eclipse," she said softly and then whispered to the horse, "You like that?"

The horse snorted and seemed to nod her head a bit causing the whole group to laugh.

"It suits her," Jacob said as everyone nodded in agreement.

"Can I ride her?" she looked at Emmett and then Jacob.

Jacob nodded. "She's broken in and just needs to be saddled up."

Emmett added, "I had Garrett here make you a saddle. He's almost as good with leather as he is with iron."

Garrett snorted and muttered, "Almost as good," the added more loudly, "I'll go get it."

Edward smiled and stepping forward he put his hand on the small of her back. "I thought you might like to ride back to the homestead together. Emmett has a few supplies to get."

"I'd like that," Bella responded, but looked at Emmett with concern, "but, are you going to be all right riding back by yourself." She was obviously thinking about the shooting.

"I'll be all right," Emmett assured her. "Jacob's heading back with me. He usually comes to work on the ranch when we have the drives back east, but he's coming out to the Big E a bit early this year to help out due to all the trouble we've had."

Bella nodded and smiled at Jacob. "Thank you."

Jacob just nodded and gave her that same kind smile.

Just then, Garrett came back holding a beautiful, polished saddle that had intricate leather tooling carved into it including dessert flowers, her initials, and the brand of the Big E. She was almost in as much awe of it as she was of Eclipse.

"Garrett, this is beautiful," Bella said as she moved forward to run her hand along the smooth leather seat.

Edward smiled. "You outdid yourself, Garrett."

Garrett grin got just a bit bigger and he looked to Bella. "Shall I saddle her up for you?"

Bella nodded eagerly and watched as he made his way into the pen and started to saddle up the calm mare.

"She has such a calm personality," Bella said as she watched.

Jacob chuckled. "Don't let that fool you. She can be feisty, too."

Edward leaned in and whispered to her, "Just like you."

Bella blushed and noticed the Emmett was rolling his eyes at the whole scene and muttering something under his breath. She knew it went against the grain for him to stand by and watch her relationship with Edward grow, but she was grateful that he was trying his best to give them space.

She turned to Jacob then and asked, "Did you break her in then, Jacob?"

Jacob nodded and grinned. "Was a tough one to break, but it was worth it. She'll be a good mount for you. Emmett and Edward tell me you like to ride fast."

Bella blushed again and nodded as Edward and Emmett laughed.


	51. Chapter 51

Bella still couldn't believe what Emmett had done for her. She had wanted a horse of her own ever since she had started riding lessons, but her father had never indulged her thinking that she would always outgrow her love of riding when she found a husband and had a family. Little did he know that she would end up living out west with Emmett where riding was a necessity rather than a hobby of the upper crust of society.

As she rode she would lift one of her hands off the reins every now and then to simply reach out and run her fingers through Eclipse's mane or pat the mare's neck. She really thought her heart was going to burst with joy at riding her own horse. And, it was a fine, beautiful horse at that. As she rode she could tell that Eclipse was a well trained animal. She responded eagerly to each tug of the reins or to the pressure of Bella's heels in her side.

When she finally drew her attention away from the mount she looked over her shoulder at Edward, who was riding right behind her, with a big smile.

Edward had been watching her as she rode towards the homestead ahead of him, just memorizing how beautiful and happy she looked. She looked so graceful sitting up in the saddle, her long mahogany hair falling in loose curls down to her back to her slender waist, the breeze stirring the ends softly along with the hem of her split skirt. And, then when she turned and he saw her smile, well, it just plain stole his breath away. The smile seemed to light up her whole face and there was a glittering twinkle to her chocolate brown eyes.

Taking the reins into one hand she reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair away from the pale skin of her face and she stopped Eclipse, waiting for him to come up beside her. When he stopped right next to her she leaned over in the saddle and her lips broke into a gentle smile. He leaned towards her as well and caught her smile before she kissed him softly.

It was as if she were putting all the joy she felt in that moment into the kiss. It wasn't just the joy that was generated from her present, but also the joy she felt because of him and what was growing between them. It was a kiss that promised so much of what was to come. As their lips tugged at each other's then parted as they tasted one another he let his own bliss show through and he felt a tightening in his chest as his hand moved to rest on the side of her face and neck.

As the kiss continued, it changed, as he put all the love he felt for her into it. She moaned in response and kissed him back in kind, her hand coming up to rest over his as he continued to hold her close.

When she was the one that finally broke the kiss they were both breathless and smiling. He let his eyes lock with hers for a moment and whispered, "Follow me?"

She placed one more gentle kiss on his lips and whispered back, "Anywhere."

With that he pulled back, straightening up in his saddle, and he winked at her before he said, "See if you can keep up."

With that he dug his heels into Chester's side and urged the horse into a full run. Bella's laughter drifted towards him and it didn't take long before she caught up, only half a length behind so he could lead the way to where they were going.

It wasn't long before Edward started to tug on the reins a bit, slowing Chester down to a steady trot and Bella did the same with Eclipse. When they came up to an old large tree he stopped his mount and tethered it to one of the lower branches and smiled as he saw Bella do the same. The diameter of the tree was wide enough that when he took her hand and led her to the base of the tree they had to take a few steps.

Once at the base of the tree he let go of her hand and squatted down between the roots of the tree. As he began to rummage around under a group of knotty roots she crouched down next to him and looked at him curiously. He only smiled at her a bit and said nothing as he rooted around and then when he pulled an old, faded tobacco tin from its hiding place she gave him a curious look.

"Have a seat," he said as he sat back onto the ground between the tree roots. Looking behind her she moved to do same, folding her legs under her.

He had a bit of trouble opening the tin's lid, and when he did she couldn't help but crane her neck a bit to peer inside curiously as his long, graceful fingers reached in to pull out a small carved toy horse that had obviously been gnawed on by a child's tiny teeth. When he handed her the toy horse she looked at it curiously and turned the toy over in her hands, running her fingers against the smooth, worn surface. As she looked at the underside of the toy horse's belly she saw the name Edward carved underneath and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"It was mine when I was a tyke. My pa carved it for me when he was out on the range," Edward said in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat and pulled out a handkerchief that was wrapped around a something and he opened the cloth to reveal two daguerreotypes. He handed her the first one and she couldn't help but smile at the image of what was obviously Edward as a toddler, holding the same toy horse that was now resting on her lap.

His full head of hair had been just as wild then as it was now and he even had the same crooked smile. For just a moment she allowed herself to wonder if this was what their children would look like and she quickly brushed that idea away even as she blushed at the thought.

"You were quite a handsome fellow even then," she said as she looked up at him with a smile.

He smiled back at her a bit and handed her the second picture. In this one she saw a young couple in what appeared to be their wedding attire. The man bore a striking resemblance to Edward, though the photograph showed that he had had blonde hair. She imagined that the woman's hair color was more like Edward's and he seemed to have the same eyes that she did.

"Those are my parents," he said roughly and cleared his throat, "Edward Masen, Sr. and Elizabeth Masen." He pointed to the trunk of the tree to a scar in the bark where someone had carved a heart and the letters E + E inside. "Pa carved that for my momma when they were just seventeen."

She let her gaze wander back towards him and saw the way his eyes were filled with moisture. Reaching out she rested her hand on his cheek as he reached up to run his thumb over his lower lid, wiping away at a stray tear and he made a joke.

"Well, I didn't want you to wander out here, find it and think that Emmett and I had something going on."

She tried to smile at that, but instead she whispered, "How'd it end up out here on this tree, Edward?"

He took a shaky breath and looked down at the ground for a moment before he looked at her. "This used to be my family's land, Bella. The Big E and Mallory's Bar None..all of it. It used to be mine."


	52. Chapter 52

"Yours?" was all that Bella managed to get out.

Edward nodded and sighed, running his hand tiredly over his face. "Guess I should start at the beginning, huh?"

Bella just sat quietly, waiting for him to continue, his treasured possessions including the toy horse and the photos resting on her lap.

"My mother's family, the Wards, owned the property that is the Bar None and part of what is the Big E today. My father's family owned the rest of what is the Big E now. Spoons Valley was even smaller then than it is now. Actually their families were some of the first to settle the area. They grew up together and would play together, right here under this tree as a matter of fact, or at least that's what my momma used to tell me."

He reached over and plucked the picture of his parents off her lap and looked at it a moment before he continued.

"Both their families built successful ranches and by the time they got married they had some of the biggest cattle operations in the west. Pa always said there was a lot of jealousy when he and momma finally got married, mostly because people knew how powerful they were going to be. See, my father's mother died giving birth to him and though my grandfather got remarried to a widow that had one son, he never had any other children of his own. My momma and my Aunt Esme were the only two children that my other grandparents ever had and though they left the ranch to both of them, my father bought out Aunt Esme's share, gave her more than it was worth, but that's just the way he was. Aunt Esme never really wanted to live out here on the ranch anyway."

He sighed and started to put away the things he'd removed from the tin, though he hadn't shown her what was in the small pouch at the bottom of the container.

"So, by the time that my parents had me they were probably some of the biggest land owners out west, if not the biggest. They didn't care about that though. Both of them loved this land and life here on the ranch. The way of life, the land itself, those were the things that really mattered to them. It was never about the power or the money."

He closed the tin, ran his fingers over the lid before he reached out and stuck it back under the root system of the tree.

"My parents said they always wanted a big family, but unfortunately momma couldn't have anymore after me. They were happy though. They built a family with the workers, including Carmen and Eleazar who started working here when I was about ten or so."

He took a deep shaky breath before he continued, "We were happy, you know? No major problems. I mean, there were small things, but there always are. Then, when I was seventeen, pa fell off a horse and was killed when his head hit a rock. We didn't find him for a couple of days since we thought he was out working on the range. We only went looking after he didn't come home." He cleared the catch in his throat. "Momma never got over it and she died a few months later. Uncle C said her heart was already weak, but I think it just slowly stopped beating after she lost my father."

Bella quietly reached out and held his hand when she heard the pain in his voice, feeling a dull ache in her own chest as she held back tears. She could tell by the way he spoke of them that he really loved his parents.

He looked at her and squeezed her hand a bit. "So, everything came to me. The land, the money, the cattle, all of it."

She nodded and waited for him to continue, knowing that this wasn't easy for him.

"Carmen and Eleazar tried to keep me in line, but, well, I was seventeen, stubborn, and angry. The thought that I might end up alone never really occurred to me, but I suppose it never does when you're young. So I left, leaving everything behind and tried to forget about it all the way many men do. I took to the bottle, gambling…women…" Now he was refusing to meet her gaze, obviously ashamed. "It wasn't long before I had squandered everything away. All of it. Mallory had been itching to get his hands on the land ever since my parents were alive and he saw my foolishness as a golden opportunity to buy up as much as he could. I sold it to pay off debts thinking I could at least keep the rest, but before long the bank had a lien on that too. I kept thinking I could win it back but just ended up digging myself in even deeper and by the time I came back to Spoons Valley to try and see if I could salvage anything, well, it was too late."

A single tear made a trail down the side of his face as it escaped the corner of his eye and he took another unsteady breath.

"I kept getting drunker and drunker, thinking how disappointed my folks would've been of me and I kinda lost my head. That's when I met your brother. He helped me out and though he had intended to settle further west he bought the rest of the land from the bank after hearing me talk about how I didn't want Mallory to get his hands on any more of it. Angered Mallory off to no end."

He gave her a sad, crooked smile. "I could tell that your brother was a good man. He knew from the start that he was going to need help so he hired me right on the spot and brought Eleazar and Carmen on board. He's never really treated us like we work for him and considers us equals, which I'm grateful for, but I still can't forget that he's the boss because I was a fool."

Sighing he looked down at his and Bella's hands joined together, wondering if she would run now that she knew the truth of how sinful his past had been. He expected her to pull her hand from his at any moment and run off, so he was surprised when she rested her fingers under his chin and lifted his face up so he could look at her.

He couldn't help but hold his breath at the compassion and love he saw shining in her eyes as she smiled softly at him and whispered, "That isn't who you are anymore, Edward. We all make mistakes in life. You've shown me your heart and I know that you're a good, decent man and that's why I love you."

At hearing those words he held his breath for a moment, stunned and he whispered, hope in his tone, "You…you love me."

She blushed brightly and as she worried her lower lip with her teeth she nodded. Now she was the one wondering if she had scared him off.

His gaze stayed on hers for a while, his green eyes shining intently, and then instead of saying anything, he pulled her onto his lap and kissed her with an intensity that he had never shown in their kisses before.


	53. Chapter 53

There was an urgency to Edward's kiss that had never been three before and Bella couldn't help to respond in kind as she settled on his lap. His arms moved around her waist, holding her close even as her own arms snaked around his neck.

His lips were strong, demanding, as her own soft lips yielded to his. As the intensity of the kiss increased and their lips opened against each other's, tasting, coaxing, he broke the kiss and their eyes met as he whispered breathlessly, their sweet breath mingling, "I love you."

She responded by kissing him again, this time her tongue peeking out to run against his lips, urging him to part his lips so she could taste him in much the same way he had drawn similar responses from his own kisses before.

As his lips parted and they really had access to taste each other, they both moaned in unison. When the tip of his tongue curled against hers she shivered in his embrace and felt a tingling sensation run through her whole body which caused her to try to press her body even closer to his, though her position sitting across his lap made that more than a bit difficult.

Sensing what she wanted, Edward shifted her a bit, lifting her slightly with his strong arms, so that she was now straddling him where he sat and both of them stopped kissing for a moment as she let out a soft gasp and he let out a low moan.

He was both frustrated and grateful for the split skirt she wore which allowed for their position, but kept them separated. He didn't want to pressure her in anyway, but he just needed to hold her closer, and this was as close as they could get fully clothed. Holding her like this was heaven and his body responded without thought as he lifted his hips a bit even as he pressed her body down towards his so that his obvious arousal was pressed up between her legs.

Bella's mind was in a tizzy. When he moved her so that she was straddling him she lost all coherent thought, never having been in such an intimate position with him or any other man for that matter. She had rough idea of how the male anatomy worked and sometimes, when they kissed she had felt a fleeting brush of the hardness between his legs, but this…this was something all together different. As she felt him lift his hips a bit and press himself up against her, the enlarged part of him pressing up against a part of her that was now definitely throbbing and aching, causing her to gasp and squirm in his arms as she tried to relieve some of the pressure she felt and make the ach better.

When she wiggled on him like that he groaned and kissed her again, her lips, parted from her gasp, provided easy access as his tongue delved into her mouth once again. This time the kiss was slow, teasingly so, as their tongues danced slowly together. The kiss seemed to ease some of the anxiety that Bella felt and she stopped squirming so much, though the urge for more remained.

Edward finally broke the kiss and his lips trailed along her jaw till his mouth was near her ear and he whispered, "I…I won't do…too much, but…if you want me to stop…tell me." Bella could only pant in response as his lips trailed to her neck and kissed the soft flesh there with gentle, soft, open mouthed kisses, his tongue peeking out now and again to taste her.

She bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, even as his hand drifted up her back, fingers caressing her through the light fabric of her blouse, till his fingers moved into her hair, grasping at it causing it the pins to fall out and the loose bun to fall away as her long locks fell down her back. His grasping fingers tugged gently, urging her head to fall back as he continued to move his mouth and tongue against her neck.

His free hand, which was not tangled in her hair, slowly moved up her side and then moved to cup her breast. Even through the fabric of her blouse, corset, and chemise, she felt as if her skin was on fire wherever he touched her as her own hands moved to his shoulders, fingers curling to grasp the fabric of his shirt and her body responded instinctually as her nipple tightened at his touch and she pressed down harder against him as she gasped out, "Oh Edward!"

He groaned as his lips moved to hers again and he ran his thumb over the hardened nipple that was barely peeking out through the fabric of her shirt and chemise. His hand finally released her hair and trailed back down her back under the soft cascade of loose curls. His hand moved to her hip and he pressed up against her again and they both moaned as he flexed his hips at the exact moment that she pressed down against him.

He broke the kiss to whisper, "I love you so much," before his lips claimed hers again. A steady, slow rhythm started after this and their bodies moved together. Edward's hand on Bella's waist guided her movements till she was rubbing against him on her own and it was only the fact that he knew that she wasn't ready that stopped him from tearing at her clothes and taking her right then and there.

Bella could feel the pressure building up between her legs, making her move against him even more and rubbing against him brought some relief, but she had a feeling that there was more, as if she was reaching for something that was just out of her grasp. The feeling of his arousal pressing up against her was driving her wild and if it weren't for the fact that they were fully clothed, she would be sure that there was nothing more intimate than what they were doing now.

She held him close, panting and whimpered, "Oh Edward…Oh…I love you so much." He buried his face against her neck and whispered, "Love you," as she held him close even and they continued to move together.

She didn't know what was happening to her body as they kept it up, but she knew she didn't want it to stop, and after a few more times of rubbing herself against him, whimpering at the friction this caused between her legs she let out a soft cry as she had her first ever climax.

Edward sighed a bit and held her close, knowing that she had come. He stopped moving then, though how much he was aroused was quite painful.

Bella buried her face against his neck and they both sat there, just panting and trying to catch their breaths, their pulses racing. Edward was glad that she had climaxed when she had, afraid that if they had gone on much longer he would have made a mess in his pants that would have been hard to explain.

When they had both calmed down a bit he lifted his face away from her neck and craned his head, trying to take a peek at her. She lifted her own face and smiled shyly at him, her cheeks stained with a permanent blush that she was sure wasn't going to go away.

He gave her a crooked smile and kissed the tip of her nose which caused her to scrunch it up a bit and giggle before she let out a soft, contented sigh. She didn't really fully understand what had just happened between them, but she knew that it was wonderful and it was the start of their forever.


	54. Chapter 54

Emmett arrived home and watched as Jacob greeted Carmen and Eleazar, who were happy to see him. He had filled Jacob in on what was going on on the ranch while riding back to the Big E and as usual Jacob had just listened in thoughtful silence. He was glad that Jacob had agreed to stay after delivering Bella's horse. To say that things were getting rough would have been an understatement.

He excused himself from the kitchen as Carmen set Jacob up with the supplies he would need out on the range and made his way to his office where he needed to go over the books. He wasn't surprised to see that neither Bella nor Edward was home. Bella probably wanted to be riding around on Eclipse and he knew that there was no chance that Edward was going to leave her unprotected out on the range.

Settling in behind his desk after opening the window to let in some air he started to go through his ledgers, checking on the stock and the estimated number of losses from the recent rustling. He wasn't hurting financially. Honestly, it would take a lot for him to get to that point, but he wasn't happy. He hated when things weren't running smoothly and he hated it even more that someone was stealing from him.

He was so caught up in going over the books that he didn't realize that Bella and Edward had ridden into the homestead. It wasn't till he heard their voices drifting in through the open window that he realized they were there. He couldn't hear what they were saying as he saw them walk up to the house from the direction of the barn, holding hands.

Emmett couldn't help but smile at how happy Bella seemed to be, though the smile faded as he saw them stop walking as Edward wrapped his arms around Bella's waist. As he pulled her close, just out of Emmett's line of vision, Emmett leaned back in his chair, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on. When he saw them kissing he frowned, but it wasn't till he saw Bella turn towards the house, a dreamy look on her face as she walked in and Edward walked away that he fell backwards in his chair, landing with a loud clatter and a loud cry of, "Shit!"

Bella, having heard him fall, rushed in and came into the office, getting there just in time to see Emmett pulling himself up from the floor.

"Bear? Are you all right?" she asked with concern.

He muttered a few more curse words under his breath as he bent down and straightened up his chair. He sighed and said, "I'm fine." Which he really wasn't, but it seemed like the right thing to say.

He was actually freaking out a bit. He'd seen the look on Bella's face before. He'd seen it on Rosie's face countless time after they'd...he didn't complete the thought. _Dear lord in heaven_, he thought, _was Edward sleeping with Bella?_

At that thought he plopped down in his seat, looking a bit pale and disoriented as Bella came further into the office and asked, "You sure you're all right?"

"Uh, Bells, will you have a seat?" he asked and watched as she moved to sit across the desk from him, a look of confusion on her face. She started to worry as she saw he was getting paler and paler with each passing moment.

He felt the blood draining from his face as he wondered how he was going to approach the subject of sex with Bella and wondered how he was going to keep himself from killing Edward with his bare hands if it ended up he was having sex with his sister without having married her first. Bella's concerned voice broke though his thoughts.

"Emmett? Emmett! You look like you're going to pass out. Should I go get Carmen?"

Carmen! Right then he realized that Carmen was the answer to his dilemma. Carmen could find out – with him in the room of course – and make sure that he didn't run off to kill Edward if Bella's answers weren't to his liking.

Jumping up he said. "Carmen! Yes! I'll go get her! Stay right there." And, with that he rushed out of the room.

Bella sat there in confusion. Why did he need to go get Carmen if she had suggested bringing her over to check on him.

She only had to wait a few minutes as Emmett and Carmen came into the room, Carmen with a stunned look on her face as she sat across from Bella and Emmett moved to sit behind his desk again.

Emmett looked from Carmen to Bella and back again before he told Carmen, "Well, go on…"

Carmen arched a brow and cleared her throat. "Well, _m'ija_, your brother wanted me to talk to you about…something. I suggested that you and I should speak in private, but he insisted on being here. So, since he wants to know…well, what he wants to know, I thought he should talk to you directly and I would be here to, eh, supervise."

Bella blinked and looked from Carmen to Emmett, asking, "What's this all about, Emmett?"

Emmett was no longer pale and had in fact turned as red as a tomato. "Well, you see, Bella. I know that you and Edward are getting close…"

She frowned and interrupted him, "I know you and Edward have spoken about us courting and you told him you were all right with it. I'm not going to let you drive a wedge between me and Edward, Emmett."

Emmett shook his head and sighed, "I'm…not." Okay, so he had considered it. "I just…Well, you see, Bella, there comes a time in a girl's…" Carmen cleared her throat, interrupting him and he changed his word choice, "…there comes a time in a _young woman's_ life," Carmen nodded at his word choice, "when men, uh, start looking at her differently."

Bella looked at him in confusion, having no idea where this was going so she said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"He might want to…spend time with her, uh…and you know…do things."

Carmen rolled her eyes and interrupted him and leaned towards Bella, saying in a voice that was a very loud whisper, "He's talking about sex, _m'ija_."

Emmett groaned and closed his eyes a moment, letting his head fall back against the back of his office chair. He missed Bella's eyes growing wide and her deep blush.

"Emmett…," she managed to get out in a strangled voice. It was obvious she was completely mortified

Emmett just groaned a bit as if he was in pain and Carmen took that as a sign that she should continue, "It's a natural part of life and it's all right…."

"What!" Emmett bellowed, eyes flying open as he leaned forward in his seat.

Carmen ignored him and kept going, taking a embarrassed Bella's hand into her own. "…as long as you love the man and you plan to marry him. So have you and Edward…?"

Bella opened her mouth, but just a squeak came out as her eyes went wide and she went even redder.

Emmett also seemed shocked by Carmen's directness, though he shouldn't have been, and he palmed his face and groaned.

Carmen grinned and almost looked like a giggling, gossiping school girl as she bounced a bit in her seat as she leaned forward, still holding Bella's hand between her own. "Did he treat you well? When is the wedding? Did you like it!"

"Carmen!" Emmett said as he shot out of his seat. "I..I think I can handle it from here."

Carmen shrugged and stood up, letting go of Bella's hand, though she did stop to whisper to Bella, "We'll talk later."

Emmett ran his hand over his face in frustration as he watched Carmen hurry out of the room. He turned his gaze back to a stunned Bella and started, "Bella, I, well, I love you and I just want to make sure that you and Edward aren't, uh…"

She finally seemed to snap out of whatever mortified trance she had been in and jumped up. "Stop right there, Emmett."

Emmett looked at her and blinked.

"I'm _not _going to discuss this subject with you!" She turned towards the door and started to stomp out, but she paused and turned just as he was walking through it. "And, for your information, Edward and I have kept all our clothes on!"

Emmett fell back into his chair again, sure he was going to age ten years for every day that passed where Edward and Bella weren't married yet.


	55. Chapter 55

Alice had gotten better, and though her leg pained her a bit, she was at least able to walk around. Doc Cullen had said it would be a while till both her arm and leg were completely healed and did warn her that though the breaks had healed well, that she might get pains at the break sites now and again. Having known more than a few people that had broken bones over the years, she had come to expect that.

She was grateful for the Cullens and all that they had done for her since she'd had the accident with the horse after the race. And, though they had invited her to stay indefinitely, she didn't want to take advantage of their hospitality so when Angela had come to visit they'd talked and she found out that she might have a place in the citizenry of Spoons Valley as the new schoolmarm. Angela had no desire to take over Mrs. Cope's position and Mrs. Cope was more than ready to retire and go to live in a nearby town with her daughter's family.

It really was the perfect arrangement for Alice. She had loved teaching back in Mississippi and as Spoons Valley's schoolmarm she'd be afforded a good salary and a small place to call her own that was built as an addition to the back of the schoolhouse. It was all she really needed.

Emmett had been sweet and very apologetic about their whole situation the couple of times that he had come to visit her. She'd assured him that she understood and agreed that it was best that they probably didn't get married. He'd offered her a place at the Big E, but she'd politely declined, stating that she'd rather teach. So he'd brought her luggage from the ranch and when he'd mentioned the possibility of her marrying Jasper, well, she'd burst into tears. It was then that she discovered that Emmett didn't do well with tears. The poor man had looked horrified and hadn't brought up the subject again.

Jasper on the other hand might not like her tears, but they hadn't run him off and he was as persistent as ever in his pursuit of her. Every day he came to the Cullens and would sit with her for as long as he could, sometimes he would even come several times a day. Nothing had worked to get rid of him. She'd tried the silent treatment several days in a row only to realize that Jasper _liked_ the silence. He wasn't that much of a conversationalist after all. She'd tried screaming and hollering at him, but he seemed to like that too, as if her going off on him endeared her to him even more. She'd even tried what she called the "Jessica Stanley Tactic" of talking his ear off, but he had just sat there, listening intently to every word that she said as if it was the most fascinating thing that he had ever heard.

It was as utterly annoying as it was endearing…and frightening.

She knew he was in love with her, and if she took a moment to be honest with herself, she would clearly see that she was in love with him as well. Her feelings for him were the reason that she only fought him a little whenever he would kiss her. And, my, the man could kiss. She _tried_ her best not to respond to him whenever his lips swooped down on her own, but in the end she always gave in because she just couldn't help herself. He never pushed things too far, but it was enough to make her pulse rate and make her feel lightheaded with the kisses ended. And, every time he finished kissing her right before he would end their visits he would say the same thing, "You love me, Alice, and I love you. One of these days you _will_ marry me."

Of course, that would only set the tears off again when he was gone as she drowned herself in the hopelessness of the situation. She knew that they would never marry because every day she would live in fear that the truth would come out and then she would lose everything.

Sometimes her subconscious allowed her to hope and at night she would dream of the life she could have with Jasper. She would dream of his kisses, but she would also dream about their children, tall, lanky boys with her brunette hair or petite, feisty girls with blond curls like his. Then the dreams would turn to nightmares and she watched as Jasper's face turned angry and he stole those children away, refusing to let her have anything with them. The dreams would always end the same way, with Jasper sneering at her, "How could you, Alice? If I had known I would never have married you. How could I be with a woman that'd done the things you've done?" Then she would wake up trembling and whimpering in her sleep.

It was then that she would find solace in her bible, pulling it out from where she kept it under her pillow. She was grateful that it had lain undisturbed in the bottom of the luggage that Emmett had brought from the Big E. That meant that no one had gone through her things — not that she expected them to, but she could only imagine what had happened if someone had picked up the bible by chance and flipped through its pages.

Some nights, after having a nightmare, she would find solace in reading certain passages that were marked with dog-eared corners. Other times she fed the fear residing within her by looking at the papers tucked into the back of the book.

First, there was the old faded picture of her and her father when she couldn't have been more than ten or twelve. Anyone looking at the picture would have to look closely to realize with was Alice standing next to the man with the cocky smile. At first glance she looked like a young boy in her trousers, small duster, and dirt smeared face. She seemed like a tiny replica of the man standing next to her right down to the clothes that they were wearing and the six shooters resting on their hips. Funny thing was, she looked happy.

The next item was another, much different picture of Alice when she was a bit older. In this picture there would be no mistaking her for a boy, but what was most startling about it was the way she was dressed. She was in a white veil and long sleeve dressed, her hands clasped demurely in front of her and her eyes were turned up towards the heavens. It had been a picture taken of her on the day she'd gone from being a novice to being Sister Mary Alice of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy. It was the day, for all intents and purposes, that she had married God. At least that's what the dogma said. She didn't look happy in the picture, but there was a soft look of contentment on her face that showed she was pleased with life.

The last item tucked between the last page of her bible and the back cover was a piece of paper that had been crumpled before it had been smoothed out and carefully folded before being put away. It was the same paper that she had stolen from Jasper's desk the day of her arrival at Spoons Valley. This was the one item she hadn't looked at since hiding it away.

She did peek at it once as she packed her things away at the Cullens', preparing for her move to the schoolmarms quarters at the old schoolhouse, and what she saw made her feel sick right down to the pit of her stomach.

There, on the page, was a wanted poster, showing sketches of her in both her nun's habit and without it. Underneath it were the following words:

"Sister" Mary Alice

Daughter of Notorious Bandit Brad "One Shot" Brandon

Wanted for the Crime of Murder


	56. Chapter 56

Edward rode into the homestead and straight to the barn where he climbed off Chester and started to tend to the horse's needs. He had spent the day out on the range and hadn't seen Bella since the day before yesterday when they'd parted on her front porch after their time spent under his parents' tree. What had happened there was still fresh on his mind and he almost reached down to adjust yet another growing erection, but memories of another incident that had happened later that same evening pushed aside any amorous thoughts that he had.

After leaving Bella on his front porch he had walked back to the barracks and had gotten a few things so he could use the outdoor shower set up for the cowpokes and change. He'd been in the small wooden structure with the clever water system set up with a pulley that Garrett had come up with several years ago when he let his thoughts wander to what he and Bella had been doing only a couple of hours ago and he'd felt himself growing hard again. It wasn't surprising really considering that he hadn't reached a release.

As he lathered up, stopping every now and then to pull on the chain that kept the water flowing, he let his hands wander down his chiseled chest and stomach and even further below till his fingers wrapped around his hardened length. He bit his lip to keep from groaning out loud as he moved his hand, pumping his arousal as he remembered how it had felt to touch Bella, to have her rubbing against him, and to watch her come undone in his arms. As he continued to satisfy his needs he imagined what it would be like to actually touch her bare skin and to feel himself inside of her, one with her.

His hand steadily began to move faster and faster as he reached out and braced himself with his freehand against the wall of the stall, his head falling forward as he closed his eyes and felt himself coming closer to climaxing.

He hadn't even noticed that he hadn't pulled on the chain to release more water.

He hadn't noticed Emmett calling for him and coming closer.

It wasn't till Emmett had opened the door of the shower, squealed like a girl and slammed it shut again that he snapped out of his fantasy and let out a surprised yelp.

Emmett didn't take long to recover from the shock of what he'd seen and he screamed out. "You better not be thinking of my sister!"

Edward had only groaned and responded, "What the fuck are you doing, Emmett!"

"I didn't know you were in there! I didn't see the water running and…What the fuck am I giving you excuses for!" Emmett bellowed.

Edward banged his head a couple of times against the side of the shower and reached for the towel that he'd brought with him. Wrapping it around his waist he opened the door and glared at Emmett. To say that he was pissed would have been an understatement. His jaw was clenched so tightly the muscles there were ticking.

Emmett pointed a finger at him. "Don't look at me that way, Edward. I know you were thinking of Bella."

Edward just arched a brow and crossed his arms. "So?"

"What do you mean 'so'?" responded Emmett, glaring back.

"Well, way I see it Emmett, is that it's better that I have to take care of my own needs since it means that I ain't using Bella to do so."

Emmett roared, "You better not be using Bella in any sort of manner!"

"I'm not or I wouldn't be doing…what I was doing!" Edward responded angrily. "I respect your sister damnit!"

Emmett glared and then sighed, muttering something about getting old and then he said, "Well, I suppose what you were doing is better than the alternative, but…Jesus, Edward! Didn't anyone ever tell you that you'll go blind or get hairy palms or something? Though if it comes right down to it keep doing…that if that's what it takes for you to keep your hands off of my little sister!"

Edward had ignored those particular comments and had headed back to the barracks.

Now, almost two days later, he was still blushing at being caught like some randy adolescent.

As he put Chester in the stall next to Eclipse and taking a moment to say hello to the mare, he made his way to the back of the main house, his steps becoming a bit quicker when he heard Bella's laughter floating towards him on the breeze.

As he turned the corner he saw her sitting with Carmen on the back porch. Bella was cleaning a bowl of green beans and Carmen was peeling potatoes. He couldn't help but stop a moment just to watch her. She looked happy, sitting there laughing at whatever Carmen was saying. Looking at her and how beautiful she was he couldn't believe how lucky he was and he knew that he wasn't going to be able to wait much longer before he asked her to spend forever with him. As he thought of the name Isabella Marie Masen, he couldn't help the large grin that parted his lips.

Sensing his presence, Bella turned in her seat and seeing him her already smiling face shone even more. Setting aside the bowl on her lap, she cried out, "Edward!" and both of them moved quickly towards each other, as if drawn together by some invisible force.

When he reached the bottom of the back porch's steps, she jumped right into his waiting arms and he held her closer and grinned as he inhaled her scent. She didn't give him a chance to say anything before she pressed her lips to his in a welcome home kiss that was far from the passionate kisses that they'd previously shared, but that was still more affection than they'd displayed in front of anyone. They only broke apart when Carmen's voice interrupted them.

"_Valemas que no los mire El Patrón. Ese hombre ya se 'sta perdiendo la menta. __¡No necesitamos que le pega un ataque de corazón!_"

Edward chuckled and set Bella back on her feet, though he did keep his arm around her waist. "_No te mortificas, Carmen_. Emmett and I have an understanding…well, sort of an understanding."

Carmen chuckled and shook her head before she turned to carry the peeled potatoes and green beans back into the kitchen.

Bella had just stood there smiling the whole time.

Edward leaned down to brush his lips against hers once again and smiled. "I missed you."

Blushing, Bella smiled back, "I missed you too."

He grinned. "Have time for a walk or do you have to go and finish helping Carmen out with supper?"

She shook her head. "Prep work was all done."

"Good," he smiled and slipped her hand into his and started to walk away from the house. "I got something for you. Made it actually."

He reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a small piece of wood that had been carved into the crude shape of a rose. "I know it ain't much and I know I ain't as good as carving as my pa was...," he said sheepishly.

Taking the rose she ran her fingers over it and smiled. "It's beautiful, Edward." She turned the rose over in her hands and noticed the initials B + E carved into the bottom. She looked up at him and whispered, "Thank you."

"My pleasure, my Bella," he said with a soft smile. "I'd give you the whole world if I could."

She blushed and tiptoeing up she kissed him gently and whispered, "I don't need the whole world, Edward. I just need you."


	57. Chapter 57

Alice watched as the last of her students wandered off. He was a scamp of a boy named Gary Smithee who was the blacksmith's oldest. She could already tell had a crush on her. As he walked off he swung the small stack of books held together with a belt while he whistled she could help but smile.

Her first day teaching had been interesting and she already had a feel for each of the students in her class. There were a wide range of students varying in age from little more than six all the way up to fifteen. There was eight-year-old Gary, who had been the first out of his seat to help her with anything and stared at her with a grin and wide blue eyes through the whole class. There were the Sara and Mary, two quiet girls whose parents, Peter and Charlotte, owned the local hotel. She knew that none of these children would give her trouble.

That wasn't the case with all the students though and she frowned a bit as she moved back into the classroom and started to erase the blackboard so she could start writing out tomorrow's lessons.

Jane and Alec Volturi were the twin son and daughter of the town's mayor and she could already tell that they were the bad apples that were going to spoil the whole bunch. Alec was quiet for the most part, but when he spoke it was with snide comments that were spoken in the most polite tones. They were jibes nonetheless and it would set his cousins, the local banker's sons, and his two pals who were sons of the local saloon owners snickering. It hadn't bothered her much. She'd dealt with their kind before and it didn't take more than quick comeback to set them straight again.

Jane was another matter all together. She could tell that the young woman was cold and calculating and she was the queen amongst the other girls, even those that were a few years older than her. Jane was outwardly polite and even complimentary, but something told her that the girl was trouble. If there was one thing that Alice had learned over the years it was that girls could be more calculating and vicious than even the most hardened criminals.

As she started to write out the lesson on the board she heard footsteps coming up the front steps of the schoolhouse. Turning to look over her shoulder she saw Jasper stepping in, taking off his hat as he stepped through the threshold. She couldn't help but sigh at how handsome he was and internally cursed herself when she felt her pulse rate speed up.

"Good afternoon, Alice," he said with a smile.

She didn't turn around and continued to write on the board as she responded, "Afternoon, Sheriff. What can I do for you today?"

She heard one of the benches at the front row of desks being moved as he sat and there was a smile in his voice when he responded, "Just thought I'd come and invite you to dinner so we could talk about your first day as the new schoolmarm."

She turned to look at him a moment and her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him, elbow on the desk, chin propped up in his hand, a happy smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, it went well, thank you, Jasper," she replied as she brushed her hands together, trying to get rid of some of the chalk dust left on her fingers, "And, thank you for the invitation, but I'm a bit tired after such a long day and was just going to stay in this afternoon."

He nodded and grinned even more. "I thought you might say that." He held up his finger, as if asking her to give him a moment, and getting up he disappeared outside a moment and came back in with a basket. "I had Sue pack us up some supper." Without waiting for her response he went to her desk and pulling a tablecloth from the basket he spread it out and then started to lay out various dishes of food.

"Jasper…," she started, but was quickly interrupted.

"Now, now, Alice. You need to eat. Doc Cullen said so. I made sure that Sue packed some milk and cheese for you since he said it was good for your bones."

"Jasp…," she started again, but was interrupted once more.

"And, I know you're just too darn polite to kick me out and send me back to my lonely room to eat all by my lonesome."

"Ja…"

"Besides, I brought two slices of Sue's pecan pie," he said as he showed her the pin tin holding two large wedges of the stuff. "I know you ain't going to turn me away now." He winked and grinned with pride. While she'd been staying at the Cullens' he brought her a couple of slices and had gone crazy over them. He knew now that it was a weakness for her.

Her resolve had been quickly waning, but it wasn't the pie that finally broke her down, it was the look on his face that made her relent and she smiled a bit. "Oh…all right."

He looked so excited that her heart practically ached as she watched him finish up with setting up their dinner and move a bench to the opposite side of the desk from her chair. As she moved to sit he rushed around the desk and pulled out her chair for her and she actually giggled.

Honestly, she wasn't used to being treated like a lady. Growing up with her father and his gang when she was a young girl, she was expected to take care of herself a lot of the time and they had never treated her as a lady should. Not that they hadn't cared, but it just wasn't in their nature. Later, when she had been put in the orphanage with the nuns, then become a novice, and finally taken vows herself, she had been treated, well, like a nun. Men didn't really treat nuns the same way that they treated ladies that they were interested in.

Jasper smiled at the giggle, had to force himself not to kiss the top of her lovely head, moved to sit across from her, and then poured her a glass of milk. "So, tell me all about your first day."

He listened to everything she had to say, laughing at Gary's antics, showing concern and a hint of anger at Alec and his friends' behavior, and frowning as he listened to her concerns about Jane and her group.

"I'd watch out for those two if I were you, Alice. The Volturi, well, let's just say that they think they own the whole town, and I suppose in many ways they do. It's gone to the children's heads, and while they are children, they are wily ones and probably capable of more deviousness than people suppose."

Alice nodded and asked about his day.

He shrugged and told her about a brawl at the saloon and she couldn't help but laugh as he told her that Deputy Yorkie had ended up with another split lip.

"Though I swear that man is more scared of you than anyone else in town," he chuckled between bites.

Alice laughed, "Poor man. I took a small walk to the general store yesterday and when he saw me coming down the sidewalk towards him he turned and started to dash off so fast that he bumped right into Jessica Stanley. He knocked her right off her feet. I might have felt sorry for the girl, but then she started talking and Deputy Yorkie was standing there looking more and more horrified with each passing moment."

Jasper laughed as well, agreeing that Eric needed to man up.

The conversation turned serious then and he told her about the robberies and cattle rustling which had continued.

Alice listened intently and she finally asked, "Doesn't it seem a bit odd that they're setting their sights on folks that don't have much of anything? I mean, I met the children of some of those families today and they don't have two cents to rub together. The children don't even have shoes for goodness sake."

Jasper frowned and nodded. "It just don't make sense. I thought it might be the same gang that's been attacking other towns, but there, they went after the town folks that had money or after the banks and businesses."

She shrugged. "That's what regular gang behavior is like. Even thieves have codes of honor and don't go after folk that are more hard-up than they are. At least that's been my experience." Realizing what she said she glanced quickly at him, wondering if she had said too much. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when Jasper just nodded and continued to look thoughtful, but she figured she should cut this visit short before she really let something slip that would get her in trouble.

Without asking for so much as a by-your-leave, she started to pack up the leftovers. Jasper blinked as he watched her.

"Thank you so much for dinner, sheriff, but I really do need to get ready for tomorrow."

She missed the hurt look on Jasper's face, but he nodded and said, "Of course." He started to help her clean up. "Thank you for having dinner with me, Alice."

She peeked at him then and she noticed how unhappy she made him. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to apologize, but she didn't want to encourage his feelings for her, though every time she was in his company it felt like a losing battle.


	58. Chapter 58

Emmett sat quietly at the bar in the saloon, sipping at a beer. He'd come into town to pick up some supplies with Edward and Jacob. Jacob had gone to visit with Sue and her family for a bit and Edward had gone to the Cullens' place. He knew both men wanted to visit with their friends and family so he had said he would wait for both men in the saloon.

He'd only been there about a half hour when he saw Rosie coming down the stairs, following a man who gave her a wink over his shoulder before he walked past Emmett and made his way out of the saloon.

Emmett sighed and fought down the jealousy that he always did whenever he knew that she had been with a customer and he ordered a glass of whiskey instead of another beer. Downing the whiskey he felt Rosie coming up behind him before he actually saw her sit next to him.

"Hey, Emmett," she said with a soft voice.

He turned to her and gave her a sad smile. "Hey, Rosie."

She smiled and nudged him a bit with her elbow. "It's about time you came to see me."

He shook his head. "Nah, Rosie. I ain't staying long. Just waiting on some of the fellows who wanted to stop and see their friends and family."

She felt her face fall, but she tried to push aside her emotions right away and said, "Oh, I see."

He sighed and looked at the empty glass sitting on the bar in front of him and he said quietly, "I have missed you though."

She felt her heart ache at the sadness of his tone, and he almost physically winced at how pathetic he probably sounded.

"I've missed you, too, Emmett," she said, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

He just shrugged a bit and ordered another whiskey from Felix, who was eyeing them both with a wary expression. Felix didn't say anything though and after serving Emmett his drink he went back to tending to the few other customers that were sitting around the place.

"I…heard that Miss Brandon's taken over as the new schoolmarm. How's that going to work out when you two get hitched?" she asked, no sense of malice in her voice, only curiosity.

He sighed a bit and took a sip from the full glass of whiskey that Felix had set in front of him. "It ain't."

"What do you mean?" asked Rosie, frowning.

"It ain't going to work. We aren't getting married." He shrugged and didn't look at her.

"What happened, Em?"

He looked at her, letting his love for her as well as the hurt he felt shine in his eyes. "I couldn't marry her because she ain't you, Rose." He held up her hand, stopping her from saying more. "Look, we've discussed it and you've said your piece on the matter."

She swallowed back tears and nodded, replying hoarsely, "Yes, yes I have."

He leaned towards her and said in a soft whisper so they wouldn't be overheard. "It's too bad that I'm a stubborn fool that isn't one to give up that easily. I don't know how I'm going to do it yet or when it'll happen. Hell, I might even be old, grey and wrinkled by the time I wear you down enough, but you're going to be mine, Rosalie Hale, even if I have to steal you away and tie you up to do it."

She frowned at him. "Emme…"

He leaned in and kissed her then. "Shut up, Rosie. You ain't going to change my mind, but I _am_ going to change yours. I'm willing to beg. I'm willing to grovel. I'm willing to show myself to be the pathetic fool that I am, growing old, lonely, completely alone, because there ain't no replacing you. I figured out that I ain't willing to even try to do that. There is no substitute." He kissed her again and pulled away when he heard Felix clearing his throat. Sighing he pulled away and let his brown eyes meet her blue ones, which were now swimming in tears. "I'd ask for your company, Rosie-love, but I should be going."

He smiled at her and just said, "I have a feeling I'll see you soon." Sticking his hat back on his head, he winked at her, gave her another sad smile and turned to walk away.

)( )( )( )(

Jasper was going through his own personal romantic hell. Every day he went to see her and everyday he could see the personal struggle that she was going through. He could sense that she wanted his company, that she had feelings for him, but she was fighting against these things and he couldn't ask way. He wasn't a cocky fellow, but hell, he knew that he was a good catch. He could have courted any of the young women in town and probably have gotten a positive response, but he didn't want a Jessica Stanley or a Lauren Mallory.

He wanted Alice Brandon.

He wanted her as infuriating and stubborn as she was.

And, hell, that woman sure was stubborn. So stubborn in fact that he was thinking of going against his own moral compass to insure that she ended up at his wife. He'd never heard of a shotgun wedding where the groom was holding a gun to the bride's head to insure she went through with it, but he certainly was getting to that point.

It'd been his day off, Ben and Eric both on duty in case anything went wrong. He'd have spent the day with Alice if it weren't for the fact that she had to teach. So, like the idiot he was, he sat in his small house and drank while he waited for the day to be over.

Before he knew it the day was gone and he looked out the window and realized it was sunset. Cursing, he stumbled a bit as he tried to pull on his boots. He was always at the schoolhouse, waiting to see Alice after the kids left for the day and today he was going to be late.

When he finally got the school house he stood there, swaying a bit in his drunkenness, and he smiled as he watched Alice through the window. She was sitting at her desk, going over some of the children's lessons by candlelight.

He couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked with the way the candlelight played on her soft skin. He watched the gentle slope of her neck as her head bent over her work. He smiled at the way small tendrils of hair had escaped her bun and were brushing against the skin of her neck and cheeks. And, as she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, well, that was his undoing.

He made his way to the schoolhouse door and walked in, slamming the door behind him. Alice looked up startled, gasping at the suddenness of his appearance and she frowned.

"Jasper, are you all right?"

She got worried when he just stood there, looking at her and she got up from her desk and moved around it, concerned about the intensity of his gaze. Her heart was pounding. Had something happened? Could he possibly have discovered the truth about who she was and what she'd done?

She made her way to the other side of the desk, but before she could walk up the aisle between the rows of desk towards him, he was across the room and his lips had swooped down on hers.

She didn't have a moment to think and could only stand there, frozen in surprise as he wrapped his arms around her and moved his lips against her own. As always, she couldn't seem to help it as her arms went around his neck and she started to kiss him back. She knew it was wrong, but right now, she didn't want to think about why they shouldn't be doing this, instead, she wanted to revel in how good it felt.

His arms around her waist tightened as he felt her yield to his kiss and as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down towards her, his arms lifted her right off her feet and he held her body against his own.

The kissing didn't stop and even as she drew back, trying to catch a breath of air, he barely gave her enough time to gasp out, "Jasper!" before his lips were on hers again. He was still holding her up off her feet, but then he took a step forward and set her down so she was sitting on the edge of her desk.

Despite the fact that she had indeed once been Sister Mary Alice, her life before she had entered the orphanage and later the convent had been far from innocent and though her father had tried to keep her sheltered, she knew how things were between men and women. Heck, she'd caught her father with more than a few women of ill repute in her time, but she never associated herself with such actions and had never experience real arousal till she met Jasper, and right now, he was driving her wild.

As he stepped between her legs and his hands went to her rear, pulling her flush against him so that she felt how hard he was as he continued to kiss her, she broke the kiss and looked at him with wide eyed wonder. He didn't notice though as he closed his eyes with a groan of pleasure.

He only opened his eyes when he heard her gasp out, "Ja…Jasper," and then he let his ice blue eyes meet her hazel ones for a moment before he kissed her slowly, passionately again.

Alice didn't realize just how many cracks had been forming in her wall of resistance from fighting off her feelings for far too long, so she didn't try to stop him as he reached to wrap one of her legs around his waist and the same hand that had done so moved under her skirt, slowly trailing from her ankle, up her calve, his fingers caressing her through the fabric of her cotton stockings. When his fingers teased below the hem of her pantaloons and started to trail further up, his lips left hers and trailed to her neck.

She closed her eyes, letting her head fall back as he lips parted with heavy panting breaths and her tiny hands clutched at the fabric of his shirt. His hands on her, the way he was pressing his hardened length against her through the fabric of her skirts and petticoats, was driving her absolutely crazy and there was not a single coherent thought left in her head.

They were both so caught up in each other that neither of them noticed the pairs of eyes watching them through one of the schoolhouse windows.


	59. Chapter 59

Edward had ridden back from town with Emmett and Jacob with a big wide grin. He was so happy about the news he'd gotten from his aunt and uncle that he wasn't really bothered by the silence. Usually Emmett quietness would have made him wonder and Jacob, well, he was always quiet.

When they reached the homestead he tended to Chester and the horses that had been pulling the wagon while Jacob and Emmett unloaded the supplies that they'd brought with them. He was in the barn smiling and whistling as he put fresh hay in the stalls when Bella came in.

She stood by and watched him for a while, just enjoying the view and wondering what had made him so happy. She finally broke the silence when he was done.

"What's got you practically dancing?"

He turned to her and grinning he went up to her, put one arm around her waist and took her hand in his as he started humming and waltzing around the barn with her while all the animals looked on curiously.

Giggling she let him lead, but did ask again, "Edward, what's going on?"

He grinned and stopped dancing, both arms going around her waist now as he just stood there, holding her. "I went to see my aunt and uncle today."

She smiled. "How are they doing? I know your aunt has said that she's been feeling a bit ill lately. She doing better?"

He grinned even wider and shook his head. "Nope."

Bella looked confused. "And, that makes you happy?"

He laughed and shook his head then placed a light kiss on her lips. "No, but well, just got a little bit of news about _why_ she's been feeling so poorly."

Bella continued to look confused and waited for him to continued, figuring there was more to what this was all about.

"Seems I'm going to have a baby cousin," he said with a soft voice with a wide grin.

Bella smiled brightly back. "Really! How exciting!"

Edward grinned and laughed a bit. "You have no idea. Aunt Esme and Uncle C have been wanting a family for years, but, well, it never panned out. She's actually about three months along but wanted to see if this pregnancy took."

"And, it seems that it has?" Bella asked with a smile.

Edward chuckled and nodded. "Aunt Esme asked me to tell you that she's sorry she hasn't been by to see you and that you should come by to see her if you think things are safe."

She smiled. "I'll try to go by and see her as soon as I can."

"Perhaps I can take you tomorrow if you're not too busy here," he said as he pulled her a bit closer.

Blushing she nodded. "I'd like that."

Leaning down towards her, he kissed her softly and whispered, "One day we'll have babies of our own, you know?"

She blushed even more. "You…you think about that?"

He smiled. "All the time. Don't you?"

She nodded and tiptoed up to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Good," he said, "because it's going to happen. I love you very much, Isabella Swan."

She grinned and hugged him close. "I love you, too, Edward Masen."

)( )( )( )(

Jasper was sitting behind his desk, rubbing his face tiredly as he thought about the events of last night. Sure, he'd been drunk, but he hadn't been so drunk that he didn't know what he was doing, he'd just been a bit less inhibited is all. And, goodness, the lack of inhibition had felt good. Too good. He and Alice had let things go a bit farther than he ever intended them to go before he'd said words to her in front of a preacher and though he hadn't made love to her, he'd gotten close, too close.

But, he didn't regret it, not one bit. The experience had been too wonderful for him to have any regrets. Touching Alice, feeling her skin under his fingers, hearing her gasps and moans, well, he'd never experienced anything so wonderful in all his life. He couldn't even imagine how wonderful it was going to be when he could get her fully undressed and have her writhing under him.

Sighing he ran his hand over his face and looked out the window. At first his mind didn't process what was wrong with what he was seeing. It seemed like any regular day in Spoons Valley: women walking up and down the street with their husbands or friends, men rushing off to do whatever business, children running and playing.

Children. Running and playing.

It was still the middle of the school day.

He stood up and grabbed his hat from the peg near the door and made his way out onto the sidewalk. One of Demitri's kids ran past and he grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and stopped him from running past.

"Whoa! Hold it just one second," Jasper said.

The boy struggled a bit, but then realizing he wasn't going to be able to get away he scowled up at the sheriff.

"Why aren't you in school, boy?" Jasper asked.

The boy hunched his shoulders and huffed. "No one's in school, sheriff!"

"Why isn't anyone in school?"

The boy shrugged and tried to wiggle away. "Don't know. Alec's dad and the other Mr. Volturi went to talk with Miss Brandon and told us school was dismissed so we took off."

Jasper let the boy go then and he barely noticed as the boy ran off. Cursing he turned in the direction of the school house and ran to go see what was up, nearly knocking Lauren Mallory onto her ass as he ran past her, but not even sparing a glance to see if she was all right once he made sure she hadn't completely fallen over.

When he reached the school house and frowned when he looked through the window and noticed Alice looking quite pale as the Volturi brothers spoke to her. Not wanting to wait he made his way in and caught part of the conversation.

"You understand that we must have a school teacher who can set the proper example for our students," Aro was saying.

Alice, having noticed Jasper's entrance, looked past the Volturi brothers to him with wide, frightened eyes.

"Pardon me, gentlemen, Miss Alice, but I couldn't help but notice that the children were running around on school day and I wanted to see if everything was all right."

"Ah, Sheriff Whitlock! We were going to go talk to you after talking to Miss Brandon." Aro said with his overly happy smile.

"Good thing I decided to come check things out then, ain't it, Mayor," Jasper said as he came forward to stand next to Alice. "What's going on?" he asked.

Caius, scowled and Jasper and Alice. "It seems that my niece and nephew caught you and Miss Brandon here in a compromising position last night."

Aro cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, Jane had forgotten something her at school and Alec agreed to accompany her here since she insisted it couldn't wait till morning. They were about to come in when they looked in the window and saw Miss Alice and a man. As a matter of fact they thought it might be you, sheriff."

Alice looked upset and Jasper rested his hand on her back in an effort to soothe her. He was about to say something when Aro continued, "We were just telling Miss Brandon that she should step down as schoolmarm considering this latest development."

Caius chimed in here, "Yes, we need someone with proper morals in this position. We thought Miss Brandon fit the bill otherwise we simply could have hired one of Demetri and Felix's girls from the saloon."

Alice flushed red and Jasper could feel the anger rising up inside of her. She was going to explode. Before she could say anything and make the situation worse, Jasper decided to try and fix things.

He looked to Aro. "Your children were right, mayor. I was here with Alice last night."

Alice tilted her head back and looked at him with her mouth open in shock.

Caius' eyes flashed and he smiled, "Were you?"

Jasper nodded. "Yes, sir, and while I know your children might have seen something that they shouldn't have, you can't help a man and a woman for getting carried away."

Aro shook his head and sighed, "Sheriff…"

"We got carried away because I just couldn't help myself. You see, Miss Brandon here agreed to make me the happiest man on earth and become my wife…"


	60. Chapter 60

Jasper had seen a geyser once. He'd thought it was the darnedest thing. Every couple of hours water would just shoot up into the air. He'd always wondered at the force behind such an eruption and never thought he would see an eruption like that again.

He was pretty sure he was going to see one soon though.

As soon as he'd said that Alice had agreed to marry him he'd felt the anger building up inside of her and he just hoped that she would keep from blowing before the Volturi brothers left. Luckily for him she seemed too shocked at first to do more than stand there as both Aro and Caius congratulated them (though Aro's congratulations seemed less than sincere and Caius' seemed almost hostile). Both men asked that they be more discreet in the future for the sake of the children and then they made their way out of the schoolhouse.

He hadn't even fully turned to face Alice or get a word out before he felt her fist slam into his face. The geyser had exploded.

He was shocked by the pain even while at the back of his mind he was in awe of the fact that his tiny little fiancée could pack such a wallop. Stumbling back a bit he looked her with wide blue eyes and held up his hands in front of him.

"Now, look here, Alice…"

"Married! You…you told them we were getting _married_!" she hissed and before he could react she punched him again in the stomach, knocking the air out of him.

He'd never seen this side of Alice and now he understood why Eric was so scared of her. This wasn't the sweet little Alice that he was used to and this was definitely a whole other side of her, but he had to admit to himself that it was actually turning him on a bit.

He managed to wheeze out, "Alice! It had to be done!"

"Had to be done?" she hissed and swung again, but this time he was prepared for it and he ducked though her fist did catch the brim of his hat, knocking it right off his head.

He moved away from her, putting the desk between them. "You were going to have to marry me anyway!"

"I was, was I?" she was standing across the desk from him, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that she was trying to find a way to get to him.

"Well, I compromised your ladyhood!"

She blinked, "My ladyhood?" She might have actually laughed if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation.

"I mean your innocence!" he amended and for a moment he wondered if he could get past her and run out the door. Maybe things would be better if she had a chance to cool off.

"You thought that I was going to marry you because of what happened between us last night?" she blinked, apparently surprised by the statement.

He straightened up and looked at her oddly. "Well…yeah and because I love you."

The anger seemed to deflate out of her then and she stood there looking at him for a moment before she burst into tears.

He frowned and made his way around the desk towards her, wary that this was just a ploy to get him close so he could attack again, but he didn't care, seeing her like that broke his heart and he just wanted to comfort her.

He wrapped his arms around her and he patted her back, trying to soothe her. "There, there, Alice, it'll be all right."

She shook her head and sobbed, "No…no it won't."

He felt his heart ache as he whispered, "Don't you want to marry me, sweetheart?"

She was crying so hard now that she couldn't even talk, but she did nod her head.

When he saw that he felt a sense of relief and he placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head back so she would look at him. Using his free hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, which was thankfully clean, and used it to wipe at her tears. "Then what's the problem?"

She sniffled and whispered, "Jasper, you don't know anything about me."

He smiled at her and said, "I know enough."

She shook her head. "No, no you don't. I…I.."

"Whatever it is you're not saying, darling, it don't matter to me. I love you and I want you to be my wife."

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest and sniffled as she felt his arms wrap around her.

"Jasper, I…I need to tell you something," she said in a shaky voice.

He nodded and gently moved her to sit at one of the nearby benches behind one of the desks and he sat next to her and waited, holding her hand.

"Have…have you heard of Sister Mary Alice?" she asked quietly.

He frowned. "Sister Mary Alice, I don't think…Wait." He took a moment to process things. _Sister_ Mary _Alice_. "Sister? Sister Mary _Alice_. Jesus Christ! Are you telling me you're a nun?" He didn't even register that he'd taken the Lord's name in vain in front of a woman who had just declared herself to be a nun.

She winced a bit and shook her head. "I'm not, well, not anymore, but I used to be."

He was obviously shocked. "You…used to be a nun."

She nodded and used his handkerchief to dab at eyes.

"Well, that's…um," he scratched his chin, not knowing exactly what to say to that. "Well, it ain't going to change my mind."

She sighed a bit and looked down at her hands on her lap. "No, I didn't figure it would."

"What is it then?" he asked with a frown.

"I…I…" she stood up and climbed over the bench. He reached out and took her hand stopping her with a frown.

"Where you going, Alice?"

"I'll be right back. I have something to show you," she said with a sigh.

He nodded and let her go, watching as she made her way to the backroom of the schoolhouse which made up her small living quarters. As he watched her walk away he couldn't help but let his eyes wander to her hips and derriere as she walked off.

When she disappeared into the backroom he sighed and shook his head, wondering if God was going to strike him dead for seducing and nun…or former nun. Not that it mattered; he had no regrets when it came to Alice Brandon.

When she came back a moment later holding a bible in her hands, he internally groaned, wondering if she was going to start preaching at him, but he held his tongue and waited, wondering what this was all about.

She sat next to him again and watched as she opened the bible and pulled out a photograph. Without a word she handed it over and he looked at the image of her dressed as a nun. He blushed a bit as he looked at it, feeling a bit guilty about the touching and the kissing they'd done the previous evening, but he felt better when she reached out and rested her hand on his arm and whispered, "I'm not that woman anymore, Jasper."

He nodded and gave her a bit of a smile and set the picture down on the desk in front of him.

Next she pulled out another photograph from the back of the bible and handed it over. He took it and stared at it a moment, wondering who the man and the young boy in the picture were for a moment before he realized that the young boy was actually Alice.

"Holy shit! That's you!" he blushed then. "Oh, shit. Pardon me."

She actually laughed a bit then and shook her head. "It's all right. I grew up around rough language." She sighed and said, "You see, that's my papa. His name was Brad Brandon, better known as "One Shot" Brandon."

His brows drew together and he frowned a bit and nodded. "Bank robber if I recall correctly."

She swallowed back tears and nodded, her voice hoarse when she spoke, "Yes. Never fired more than one shot during a robbery, but that was all he needed."

Jasper looked at her as if waiting for her to continue.

"My momma died when I was about three years old. The bank wouldn't give my papa more time on a loan one year when the crops went bad and though he tried his best to be a good man and provide for his family, well, momma got sick and died. He never forgave the bankers for treating him the way they did. I know it was wrong now, but he raised me the best he could after that."

Jasper listened and then he said softly, "They hung him several years back, didn't they?"

She swallowed back tears and nodded. "They did. I was only ten at the time." She cleared her throat and continued on, "He made sure that I was left with the Sisters at the local convent and that they would take care of me before they killed him."

He nodded and set the picture down before he reached for her hand again and he whispered, "Alice, sweetheart, you know that none of this matters to me."

She whispered, "I know, Jasper, but…that isn't the whole of it."

He frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

With a shaky hand she reached into the bible and pulled out the crumpled, folded up piece of paper that was hiding inside. Holding it out to him he took it, giving her a worried expression as he did.

When he opened it he stared at it a moment and she almost turned tail and ran when she saw his expression turn from shock to anger in the span of a few seconds.

"Who'd you kill, Alice?" he asked hoarsely, anger laced in his tone.

She let her face fall into her hands and she let out a sob.

"Alice?" he said roughly. "Who. Did. You. Kill?"

She only sobbed again, unable to speak.

"Who hurt you?" he said angrily.

She looked up at him then, her eyes wide with shock.

"Who hurt you, Alice?" he asked again. He knew in his heart that the woman sitting next to him, the woman he loved, was not an evil soul. She wouldn't take someone's life unless it was necessary. He was sorry that she had killed whatever bastard it was, because right now he wanted nothing more than to shoot whatever animal had pushed her to that point.

"A…a local judge," she managed to stammer out.

He nodded and waited for her to continue.

"He…he didn't hurt me though. He didn't get the chance to. We, we run an orphanage at the convent and he had come by several times. All the other sisters thought he was a good man, coming by to check on the children, even the colored ones. But…but something didn't sit right with me and…and one day I walked into the supply room to get something when I heard…heard a noise. I went to the basement and he had one of the little colored girls and he was…he was trying to ra…rape her. I didn't even think much and just reacted when I attacked him and tried to get him off the girl. He started punching and hitting at me, but I fought back and somehow…I managed to get my hands on a pistol he had on him." Her voice was barely a whisper as she continued, "I shot him. I shot him dead with one shot."

Jasper listened quietly and then he spoke with compassion in his tone, "So you ran?"

She swallowed back more tears and looked at the wanted poster sitting on the desk in front of them. "I hid out for a while with some of the colored folks in the area that I'd helped before, but I knew they couldn't help me forever. That's when I saw Emmett's ad for a bride. I…I didn't think that this crime would reach me all the way out here. I know that a lot of the ranches out here are isolated and I thought I could get married and no one would be the wiser."

He sighed and nodded. "And, you think you can't marry me because I'm the sheriff and I have an oath to turn you in?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. Her voice quivered as she spoke, "I…I understand if you have to turn me in."

He frowned at her. "You understand if I have to turn you in?"

She nodded.

He sighed and ran a hand tiredly over his face. "I ain't going to do that, Alice."

She blinked.

He shook his head and looked at her. "I meant it when I said I love you. I still want to marry you. Way I see it, you were in the right on this one." He sighed and gave her a bit of a smile. "The law ain't as black and white as people make it seem, uh, no pun intended."

He reached out and squeezed her hand.

"If you marry me you'll be Alice Whitlock, not Sister Mary Alice or Alice Brandon. No one will be looking for you."

He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, sad at the fact that he could taste her tears in the kiss, and he whispered, "Marry me, Alice…please?"

She blinked at him, her hazel eyes meeting his blue ones, and she could only breath out a soft, "Yes," before he was kissing her softly again.


	61. Chapter 61

Edward had been sitting on the front porch steps with Bella again, just talking and watching the stars. It was nice to just sit there, holding her hand, listening to what she had to say about whatever topic was at hand whether it was a serious discussion about the problems the ranch was having or a conversation that had them laughing like when she talked about how she and Emmett had been as youngsters.

Every now and then they would sneak in a kiss, but they knew better than to try too much of that. They both knew that their relationship was hard on Emmett not only because Bella was his little sister, but also because he wasn't with the person he wanted most in the world, Rosie.

He and Bella had discussed Rosie a bit and he'd felt a sense of pride when she said she didn't care about Rosie's reputation. He was proud of the fact that she wasn't judgmental and just wanted her brother to be happy. From his drunken days when he'd spent most of his time drowning his sorrows in the saloon he knew Rosie to be a good sort. She would take care of him from time to time when he was three sheets to the wind — even though he couldn't give her two cents to rub together for her efforts. He'd never seen her as a whore and had never paid for her services, he just considered her a friend.

In consideration of her efforts he knew that his uncle and aunt had an open door policy and that Rosie would stop by if she needed anything, whether it was for medical advice or if it was just to escape and sit a moment in Aunt Esme's kitchen, though at her insistence no one ever knew of these visits. She said she didn't want to ruin the Cullens' good name.

When Carmen came out to let them know that it was getting late he reiterated his promise to Bella to town the next day. He knew she was excited to see Esme and congratulate her and that she wanted to visit with Alice for a bit.

He was also looking forward to seeing his aunt again, excited that she was finally going to have the family she always wanted, but what he was most looking forward to was spending some time with Bella. He had plans.

As they said goodnight, they kissed softly, both taking care not to get carried away and then she got up and went inside. He heard her say goodnight to Carmen and stop by Emmett's office to say goodnight to him as well before she made her way upstairs and he waited a few minutes before he made his way inside.

Going to Emmett's office Edward knocked and waited for Emmett to call him in before he stepped inside. "Hey, Em, you got a sec?" he asked.

Emmett turned in his chair and looked to Edward with a sigh and a nod. "Sure, have a seat. You want a drink?"

Emmett got up and went around his desk to the small table holding a couple of liquor bottles and he refreshed his own drink.

"Sure," said Edward as he sat down.

Emmett nodded and getting another glass, he poured Edward a drink.

Edward sat quietly watching Emmett and could tell that his friend was down. As Emmett set the glass in front of Edward before he went to sit in his chair again, Edward asked, "You all right, Em?"

Emmett gave him a sad smile and nodded. "Well as can be expected all things considering."

Edward nodded, knowing that this wasn't about the ranch. Though that would be bothering Emmett he knew that the only thing that could put Em in this kind of melancholy mood was something to do with Rosie.

"You want to talk about it?" Edward asked.

Emmett shook his head. "Nah, no point in talking about it anymore. Besides, I'm sure you didn't come here to hear me bitch and moan. What's on your mind?"

Edward looked at the amber liquid in his glass, watching the light from the gas lamp reflect on the smooth surface a moment before he sighed and looked at Emmett. "I wanted to ask you for Bella's hand in marriage."

Emmett frowned, nodded, took another swig from his glass, and winced as he felt the liquor burn its way down his throat. "Figured this was going to happen sooner rather than later."

Edward didn't say anything and just nodded, wondering if he should have waited till Emmett was in a better mood before asking.

"She loves you. I can see that. Hell, Carmen keeps going on and on about how romantic the situation is." Emmett looked at him, his gaze and tone serious, "Do you love her, Edward? I know you've said you do, but do you really love her? Marrying Bella means forever."

"I love her," Edward said softly, "I didn't know it was possible to love anyone as much as I love her. I want to be with her forever."

Emmett nodded and looked at his hand as he ran his finger over the rim of his glass which was now resting on the desktop in front of him. "Have you thought about where you'll live?"

Edward hesitated, "Well, I've been saving up my pay. It ain't like I need much with the life I live and I've learned my lesson about gambling. I thought we could get a small house in town…"

"I don't suppose you'd consider staying here?" Emmett said looking at Edward.

While Edward wasn't too pleased with the idea of living and _sleeping_ with Bella under the same roof as Emmett, he had given it thought. Nodding, he said, "I've thought about it, though about leaving it up to Bella honestly. I know she likes having you close since y'all just found each other again and all."

"I'd…give you two a plot of land if that's what you want to build close by. Heck, who knows, this all might end up being yours and your kids again at the rate I'm going. Figures you'd end up with everything after I kick the bucket."

Edward visibly winced at Emmett's words and Emmett sighed and closed his eyes, rubbing them as he said remorsefully, "Sorry, Edward, that was uncalled for."

Edward nodded and downed a bit more of his drink.

"If you want you could buy some of the land. You work it just as much as I do, if not more. I know what this land means to you."

Edward frowned. "I honestly don't think I have more than enough to buy a small plot big enough for a small house, Em."

Emmett let out a soft, humorless laugh. "Good thing for you my sister is almost as rich as I am."

Edward looked up, obviously shocked by that. "What?"

"Edward, my father may have been a son of a bitch, but he was a rich son of a bitch and he also loved my sister and so did my momma. They weren't going to leave Bella destitute. Everything was split fifty-fifty. I have a bit more now than she does since I've invested in the ranch, but it ain't all that much more."

Edward sat there, his mouth hanging open and he finally managed to get out, "I…I didn't know that."

Emmett chuckled a bit. "Obviously not."

"I ain't marrying her for the money, Emmett," he said with a frown.

Emmett snorted. "Do you think you'd still be alive if I thought you were?"

Edward gave him a bit of a crooked smiled. "Does the fact that I'm still breathing mean that you're giving me permission to marry Bella?"

"I'm giving you permission to ask her. Choice is really hers after all, but…she couldn't do better, brother. You're a good man. Just…consider living here or close by."

Edward nodded, "If she says yes, we'll talk about it."

Emmett nodded and got up to refill their drinks. "Welcome to the family, Edward."

"She ain't said yes yet, Em."

Emmett snorted.


	62. Chapter 62

Bella was happy to be riding Eclipse, but more than that, she was happy to be spending time with Edward. Her life certainly had changed since she had moved out west from Chicago. Before, her days had been filled with reading, spending time with her mother in the gardens or embroidering in the parlor, or visiting neighbors or acquaintances for tea.

Now, every morning when she woke up the first thought on her mind was Edward and he was usually the last thought on her mind before she fell asleep. And, though she missed her parents, her days were filled with more fun and laughter than she ever remembered, though she was working harder than she had her whole life.

As they rode into town, she could tell that something was up with Edward. He was quieter than usual and though the silence between them wasn't uncomfortable by any means, she could tell that he had something on his mind. She wondered if it had to do with Esme. He was obviously happy for his aunt, but at the same time she also knew he was worried because of her history with miscarriages.

As they got closer to town she broke the silence between them with a question, "What time does school let out?"

"Hmm?" Edward asked, looking her way, not having heard the question since he'd been lost in his own thoughts.

"What time do you think I could go see Alice? I know that you don't want to travel back to the ranch too late," she said with a smile.

"Oh, well, way I figure it is we can visit with Aunt Esme for a while and then when school lets out around two or so you can go and visit with Alice for a bit. Figured we'd head back around three o' clock or so."

Bella nodded and smiled. "That sounds like a good plan."

They made their way to the Cullens and after taking care of their mounts they went inside. Usually Esme answered the door, but today Carlisle answered and he smiled at both of them, giving Bella a quick kiss on the cheek before he shook Edward's hand and clapped him on the back.

"Hey, you two! Esme's in the parlor. I'm sure you two aren't here to see me," Carlisle chuckled, letting them in.

"Actually, Uncle C, I did want to talk to you for a second after saying hello to Aunt Esme," Edward replied.

Carlisle nodded. "Sure thing, son. And, you'd better say hello to your aunt first." He added more quietly, "She's in a prickly mood."

Edward just chuckled in response as they made their way to the back parlor and found Esme sitting in a high-back chair, dozing a bit, but as she heard their footsteps she opened her eyes and smiled. "Edward! Bella! I was hoping you two would come for a visit!"

When she started to get up Carlisle moved to her side, using a kiss to effectively keep her in her place and he tucked the blanket she had lying across her lap more firmly around her.

Esme gave him a bit of a glare to which Carlisle only shrugged, giving her a sheepish smile.

Edward went over and kissed Esme's forehead, asking, "How you feeling, Auntie?"

Esme sighed, "I'm fine, Edward."

Edward nodded in response and stood to one side, watching as Bella came up, hugged Esme gently and whispered a soft congratulations to her.

"I'm going to leave you two to visit while I go talk to Uncle C," Edward said. "Holler if you two need anything."

Esme snorted. "No worries. I doubt your uncle can keep from checking on me for more than ten minutes."

"That's quite unfair, dearest," said Carlisle, "I left you alone for a whole half hour this morning while I visited with a patient."

Edward chuckled and followed his uncle out of the room.

Bella smiled and sat across from Esme. "Being a bit overprotective, is he?"

Esme shook her head and sighed with a bit of a smile. "That's an understatement. Even though that man is a doctor and he knows there's no medical reason for it he isn't letting me lift anything heavier than a teacup and he'd be carrying me everywhere if I let him."

"He's just worried," Bella said soothingly. "How are you feeling, really?" She'd heard Esme tell Edward that she was feeling fine, but she also knew that Esme was the kind of woman that wouldn't want to worry anyone.

Esme smiled. "I really am all right, dear. Just tired is all. Real tired. I doze at the drop of a hat." She went quiet then, her hand drifting to rest on her stomach under the blanket that was sitting across her lap and she said more quietly, "This one _feels_ different though. I can't explain it."

Bella frowned and asked in concern. "Different as in you hurt or feel bad?"

Esme shook her head and gave her a soft smile. "No, good different, as if it really is going to happen this time. I haven't told Carlisle that. I know the poor man is so excited, even if he doesn't want to get his hopes up, and I don't want him to think that something is wrong if I tell him that it feels different than the others."

Bella nodded, sympathy in her features, "I'm sure everything will be all right this time, Esme. You and Carlisle are going to make wonderful parents." Esme only smiled softly, and Bella didn't say anything more on the subject as Esme started to talk about other things.

)( )( )( )(

"You sure this is going to work?" Laurent asked from behind the kerchief that was wrapped around the lower half of his face as they poured the contents of another tin container into the watering hole.

James shrugged as he did the same nearby. "Supposed to. If I'm right, they'll be moving the cattle into this area in the next day or two and the cows will start dying off this weekend."

"Well, it sure does stink," said Laurent with a frown as he finished emptying the last of the containers.

James shrugged again. "The smell will wear off and no one will be the wiser that all ain't right with the water."

Laurent hauled his two empty containers back to the pack mule they'd brought along and secured them with rope to the animal's back. "So this weekend then?"

"Yup," said James as he stood looking over the still water. This weekend the boss would be one step closer to getting what he wanted and he himself would also get what he'd been waiting for. As he thought this he smiled to himself and let his hand wander to the breast pocket where he felt the thing that he'd always kept close to his heart.


	63. Chapter 63

The visit with Esme had gone well. Edward had spent most of it talking to his uncle, though of course Carlisle would come in now and again to peek in on Esme to make sure she was all right before disappearing again into his office where Edward was waiting.

Both men had even taken the initiative to make lunch, or at least try to make lunch. It ended rather badly with Edward running over to the hotel restaurant to pick up something and Esme bemoaning the state of her kitchen. Though Carlisle was being rather overprotective he agreed that Esme would still be in charge of making sure they got fed; he was a fan of good food after all.

The ease with which the four of them ate their meal while laughing and talking around the kitchen table made it seem as if the four of them had known each other forever and not as if Bella had just joined their group a few short months before. The fact that Bella fit in so well made Edward smile as he felt a sense of warmth in his heart. He caught his uncle watching him and could on smile a bit crookedly when Carlisle winked in his direction as Esme and Bella laughed about some of Edward's childhood antics. After the meal, Bella, Carlisle, and Edward cleaned up the kitchen while Esme scowled nearby, irked that they wouldn't let her help.

At two Bella set off towards the schoolhouse on her own after giving both Esme and Carlisle a warm goodbye and promising Esme that she would visit again soon. Edward stayed behind saying that he needed to finish up some chores around the house and that he would come by and fetch her in about an hour so they could head back to the ranch.

Riding Eclipse to the opposite end of town where the new schoolhouse was located, Bella noticed that some of the children were out and about playing and she realized that their school day must have ended a bit sooner than she and Edward expected.

Pulling up to the schoolhouse, she tethered her horse to a post near the front and made her way inside, almost running straight into Jasper as he left the school house. She nearly fell down the steps leading up to the door, but Jasper reached out and steadied her.

"Whoa! Sorry, Bella!"

She laughed and shook her head. "It's all right, Jasper." She blinked as she noticed the large black eye he was sporting. "Goodness! That looks like a really bad shiner! You get that breaking up a saloon fight?"

Jasper reached up and gingerly touched the corner of his eye. "Uh, not exactly. Alice…lost her temper."

Bella's eyes widened. "Alice beat you up?"

Jasper actually flushed red. "Well, she didn't beat me up exactly. It's just a shiner! Uh, she caught me off guard is all."

Bella arched a brow and he smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, I deserved it," he said.

She crossed her arms over her chest then and tapped her foot, as if asking what he did to deserve it and he gave her a cautious look before looked over his shoulder towards the inside of the schoolhouse. "Alice will explain." He rushed off as if he was scared of her. "Bye, Bella!"

Jasper had definitely learned to be wary of angry females.

She couldn't help but smile a bit as she watched him run off and she made her way inside the school house where Alice was busy looking through a book of lessons that she was preparing to write on the board. Looking up as she heard Bella's footsteps a bright smile lit up her face as she noticed her and she tossed the book on the desk and ran over, practically tackling Bella to the floor in the process as she cried out happily, "Bella!"

Bella barely kept herself from falling over for the second time in the span of a few minutes and she chuckled and hugged Alice back. "And, here I was worried that you'd be melancholy and wallowing in misery!"

Alice giggled and pulled away. "Oh no! Not at all. Have a seat! I have so much to tell you!" Taking Bella's hand she dragged her over to a nearby desk and pulled her down to sit on the bench besides her.

"Well, first thing I want to hear is how you gave Jasper that black eye," Bella said with a chuckle.

Alice blushed and giggled, "Well, that's _part_ of the story I have to tell you."

She went on to tell Bella about Jane and Alec catching her and Jasper kissing —not giving her friend too much details there— and explained the visit from Aro and Caius Volturi which caused Alice to shudder and Bella to prickle up a bit. Alice had then explained how Jasper had tried to make things better by declaring that they were getting married, told her about the fight, and then told Bella that the reason she had been denying Jasper all along was because of her religious past as a nun, but that Jasper hadn't cared and now they were getting married.

Although Bella was surprised to find out that Alice had once been a nun, she wasn't buying that that was the only reason that her friend had been denying Jasper so long, but she didn't push her.

Alice wanted to tell Bella the truth, but she and Jasper decided that it was best that only the two of them knew…for now. If they had to let more people know in the future, well, they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"You won't tell anyone about the nun bit, will you, Bella?" Alice asked.

Bella shook her head. "Course not, Alice." She grinned brightly and pulled Alice in for a hug. "Oh, Alice! I'm so happy for you!"

Alice giggled and squeezed Bella back. "Thank you, Bella. I don't think I've ever been this happy!"

Bella grinned and pulled back to look at her. "You're going to have to come out to the ranch and tell Carmen yourself! I can't imagine how she's going react, but I'm sure you're not going to want to miss it!"

Alice laughed. "No, I wouldn't want to miss her or Emmett's reaction for the whole wide world. I'll ask Jasper if we can go for a visit this weekend. Maybe we can even stay the weekend so we can design and work on my wedding dress!"

Bella pronounced that this would be a great idea and it was decided that Bella would keep news of the engagement to herself so they could announce it at dinner at the ranch on Friday evening. Bella grinned as she listened to Alice talk about Jasper, the wedding, and how Jasper was going to look into building them a small house not far from the schoolhouse.

Bella was genuinely happy for the woman she'd come to regard as a sister and best friend. It seemed like everything was falling into place for the people she'd come to care about here in Spoons Valley. Esme looked like she was well on her way to having the family she always wanted and Alice was getting married to a man that she truly was head over heels for. Things were going well for her and Edward. Only Emmett didn't seem to have what he wanted, but she had no doubt that things would work out for him as well. They had to. Her brother could be an idiot, but he was a good man that deserved good things and she was sure that God would grant him happiness somehow.

She and Alice were having so much fun talking that she didn't even realize that Edward had come up and was standing leaning against the frame of the schoolhouse door, watching her and Alice talk with a crooked smile on his face.

It wasn't till he cleared his throat that both she and Alice turned to look at him and now it was Alice's turn to chuckle as she noticed the way Bella's face lit up at seeing Edward.

"Hello, Edward! How are you?" Alice asked with a grin.

"Doing just fine, Alice." Edward came up to them, leaned over to give Alice a kiss on the cheek and then he winked at Bella before straightening up again. "You look good. All healed up I see."

Alice nodded. "Almost good as new." Alice giggled and looked at Bella as she spoke to Edward. "I suppose you two have to get going before the day gets away from you."

Edward nodded. "Sorry to cut your visit short, but we did want to get back to the ranch early."

Alice smiled. "Oh, that's all right. Bella and I were making plans for me to go visit her and Carmen this weekend anyway."

They talked a bit longer before all of them said their goodbyes and Bella and Edward left the schoolhouse.


	64. Chapter 64

Edward had actually spent most of the morning of his and Bella's visit talking to his uncle about proposing to Bella. He had asked his uncle's advice about where he and Bella should live, had told him about Emmett's offer and the pros and cons of it. In the end, Edward had done most of the talking and Carlisle had let him, knowing that his nephew needed to think out loud more than anything. In the end, Carlisle had told him that the best thing was for him to discuss these things with Bella.

Edward had also told his aunt about his intention to propose after Bella had left to visit Alice and to say that she had been ecstatic would have been an understatement. She had screamed in excitement and jumped up and down, hugging him, which of course had made Carlisle scowl and order her straight to bed. She complied to ease her husband's worries and had made her way upstairs with a bright grin on her face.

He had stopped at the hotel and picked up some food, planning to ask her while picnicking under his parents' tree. On the way home he had told her about the picnic and had to smile when she had responded enthusiastically. They had sat under the tree and eaten their dinner slowly and just talking about everyday things when he'd gotten up and started to carve a heart with their initials inside right under his parents' carving. She had just grinned and lay on the blanket he had set out, watching him.

And, that was when she had broken the news about Alice and Jasper's engagement, begging him not to tell anyone since Alice wanted to break the news to Carmen and Emmett herself.

Damn Jasper for beating him to it! He couldn't propose now. He wanted Bella to have her own special moment, not have to share it with Alice. And, so, he decided to wait, though he had had enough time to retrieve the small pouch with his parents' rings from the tin hidden under the tree's roots while Bella put the remnants of their lunch back in Chester's saddle bags.

For the next two days the rings were burning a hole in his pocket and he was as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof.

On Friday when Jasper and Alice arrived late in the afternoon for supper, everyone was ready for them. Carmen had made a grand supper with Bella's help, excited that she was going to be seeing Alice for so long. When Bella had told Emmett that she had invited Jasper and Alice to supper and to stay a couple of days, he was so lost in his own depressed thoughts that he hadn't given the visit, Edward's odd behavior, or the fact that Bella was excited about something or other a second thought.

The supper was going well, even Eleazar and Carmen having joined them, and they made a happy group as they ate, laughed and talked. Even Emmett's mood was improving in the presence of such great company. When Jasper refused to explain how he'd gotten the black eye he was sporting and had only said Alice had done it, everyone in the table had been rolling with laughter, and even Eleazar who usually just sat by contributed to the conversation, talking about how Carmen had once knocked him unconscious with a frying pan.

Towards the end of the meal after Bella and Alice had been whispering to each other for a while and giggling, Bella had drawn everyone's attention by lightly clinking her fork against her glass. "Well, I thought we'd make the festive mood tonight even more so because there's an announcement…"

Before she could finish what she was saying and allow Alice to make her announcement, Emmett butted in and exclaimed loudly looking at Edward, "You did it, didn't you! Son of a bitch! When'd you propose? I thought you would do it the day after you talked to me in my office, but when you didn't….CONGRATULATIONS, Bells! My baby sister's getting married!"

Through his whole little speech everyone had just sat there, looking at him, then at Bella and Edward, the former of which was sitting there slack jawed and open mouthed and the latter of which was turning redder and redder by the moment.

Then the room broke into utter chaos. Carmen cried out happily, "_¡Ay! ¡Que milagro!_" Edward groaned and ran his hand through his hair, mussing it up. Bella and Alice both looked confused. Alice wondering when this had happened since she figured Bella would have told her, and Bella, well, she hadn't expected that at all. Jasper was congratulating the happy couple, really not registering that his and Alice's thunder had just been stolen and Eleazar just smiled, obviously happy for the couple…that wasn't really engaged yet.

Emmett had rushed around the table and had lifted Bella right out of her seat into his arms as he hugged her and jostled her about a bit. It was then that he noticed her expression and he looked at her in confusion.

"What's wrong, Bells?"

He turned his confused gaze to Edward who shook his head sighed and said, "I hadn't asked yet, Emmett."

Emmett whispered, "Oh, shit!" and the whole room went quiet.

Bella's eyes went wide then and she turned to Edward as Emmett set her back on her feet. "You…you're going to ask me to marry you?"

Edward turned and glared at a sheepish looking Emmett before he looked to Bella and he gave her a small, crooked smile and sighed, "Yeah."

He looked around the table and shook his head. "This ain't the way I planned to do this." Sighing again he stood up, took the pouch out of his pocket, pulled out the small gold ring that had a small emerald set in it and he moved to kneel in front of Bella.

Bella's brown eyes widened even more and she clamped both hands over her mouth and Alice looked on with wide eyes and whispered, "Oh my goodness!"

Edward glanced up at Emmett before looking back at Bella, "Since your brother's already practically done the asking, I'm not exactly sure what to say."

Carmen leaned towards them and said in a loud whisper, "Will. You. Marry. Me."

Eleazar and Jasper snickered and Alice lightly smacked Jasper on his arm.

Edward shook his head and muttered, "This would have been so much easier if we were by ourselves." He smiled and looked up at Bella, "I love you, Bella Swan. I love you more than life itself and I can't imagine a single second without you, much less a lifetime. I want to be with you forever, in this life and the next. You're the part of my past that I was missing, the part of my present that makes me whole, and I'm hoping you'll be the part of my future that keeps me going. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Bella was sniffling, as were Alice and Carmen, even Jasper looked a bit misty eyed.

Bella finally broke the silence in the room and she whispered, "Yes, Edward. Yes!" She grinned as he placed the ring on her finger and then he was standing in front of her, sweeping her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him as he lifted her right off her feet and she whispered, "I love you," even as their friends and family broke into cheers around them.


	65. Chapter 65

After supper the entire group had moved to sit out back—the men with some glasses of whiskey, the women with glasses of lemonade—and they had laughed and talked for a while, everyone obviously happy for Edward and Bella, though no one was happier than the newly engaged pair themselves. They sat there, holding hands, smiling at each other and not having to say much of anything. Bella kept looking at the ring on her finger and Edward was grinning more than anyone had ever seen him do so since they'd known him.

After a while, Emmett had the presence of mind to ask, "Hey, Bells? What was the announcement you were going to make before I opened my big mouth?"

Bella blinked the blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, goodness! I completely forgot!" She gave Alice an apologetic look and Alice just winked and smiled back, obviously not bothered at all by the sequence of events.

Alice reached out to take Jasper's hand and she said, "Actually, it was my and Jasper's announcement, Emmett."

She turned and gave Jasper and adoring smile, letting him say it.

Jasper winked at her then looked around at their group of friends. "Well, it was an engagement announcement, but you just pegged the wrong couple for it. Alice has finally stopped being so damn pigheaded and agreed to marry me."

Everyone cheered again and Carmen was so happy that she just burst into tears.

Though the news made Emmett feel lonelier than ever, he congratulated Jasper with a firm handshake and a pat on the back. "How'd you manage to do it? I thought for sure she was dead set against you, not that I blame her. How could she want your ugly mug after having been engaged to me?"

Jasper just grinned in response until Edward spoke up.

"Seriously, how did you finally get her to do it?"

Jasper looked to Alice, obviously not wanting to share the story, but Alice just giggled and proceeded to tell everyone about how Jasper hadn't really asked and instead had just declared that they were getting married to the mayor and his brother. Then she explained about the black eye and finally giving in, which had everyone laughing and teasing Jasper.

Looking at the group of them sitting there, laughing, talking, teasing each other and planning for the future it would be obvious to anyone that saw them that they were more than friends, they were family.

Later that night after everyone had retreated to their beds to sleep, Jasper and Edward settling in the bunkhouse while Alice got set up in her old room, Carmen and Eleazar said very little as they got ready for bed in their own small house.

Like she did every night, Carmen sat at the foot of their bed and brushed out her long black hair that was now peppered with grey, and then she braided it, Eleazar watching the whole time with a soft smile on his tanned face. It was a habit that they'd gone through for more than thirty years since they had been married and it soothed him to watch her go through her nightly routine.

When she finally turned down the oil lamp on the bedside table and curled up next to him, he pulled her close and buried his face against her neck, sighing happily.

Eleazar had never been a man of many words, not since the first time that Carmen had set eyes on him. He'd actually come to her father's house to court her older sister. He had seen María at church one day while visiting his grandmother. As it so happened, it was a day that Carmen hadn't gone and he'd made up his mind that María would make a good wife and he'd decided to court her after a brief conversation, but when he'd ridden onto their small plot of land, carrying a bouquet of flowers and had seen a seventeen year old Carmen lifting up her skirts and petticoats to kick a potential suitor in the shins, calling him a, "_Sinvergüenza sin respeto_," he knew that he was in love. She'd then turned, noticed Eleazar and with a tilt of her head she had taken in his appearance with her beautiful green eyes and had asked if the flowers he was carrying were for her.

They were married less than two months later after a whirlwind courtship in which Carmen had done much of the talking. In much the same way that Jasper had declared that he and Alice were getting married, one day Carmen had just proclaimed to her family that she and Eleazar were in love and were going to be married. He had just smiled. True he hadn't actually asked, but in a way it didn't bother him because he knew he didn't have to. They belonged together and that was that.

Over the next thirty years they had had rough patches, like when they had lost their only son, Esiquel, at the age of ten when he had drown in the river that ran not too far from their house in Mexico, or when their daughter, María —named after Carmen's sister— had married a rich man and effectively cut her parents out of her life. But, for the majority of their time together, they had been happy, content with their life together, and desperately in love.

He could feel that she was starting to doze after their long day, but when he whispered against her ear, "Carmen?" she started awake. It really was so unlike him to say anything once they were in bed. Even when he was in a feisty mood very few words were spoken between them.

She rested her hand on his cheek in the darkness and whispered, "What is it, _viejo_? Are you feeling all right?"

He had nodded in the darkness and whispered, "_Si, nomas quería decirte que te amo._"

Carmen smiled in the darkness. "_Yo también te amo, mi Eleazar_." She sighed happily and snuggled close to him. "It is so good to see them all so happy, isn't it?"

He nodded in response.

"If only _El Patron_ would find someone," she lamented.

Eleazar was just silent and Carmen thought that he was finally falling asleep, but then he whispered, "_Gracias por ser mi esposa, Carmen. Tú has hecho mi vida más feliz que pudio imaginar_."

She smiled in the darkness and kissed him gently. "_Duérmete, vejo_."

He nodded and holding her close he let himself drift off to sleep.

)( )( )( )(

The next morning Carmen was up bright and early and was making breakfast in the kitchen with Bella and Alice's help. She couldn't help but smile as she listened to both young women talk, giggle, and talk about wedding plans. She couldn't have been more happy for them if they had been their own daughters.

Alice was talking about her and Bella's wedding gowns, wondering if they could send off for some nice white silk when Jacob came through the back screen door into the kitchen. The look on his face stopped all conversation and the women froze and looked at him.

Something was wrong.

"Where's Emmett?" Jacob asked, his features showing anger and frustration.

"I…I believe he's out at the barn with Edward, Eleazar, and Ja…," Bella didn't even get to finish and he was turning to rush back out again.

She, Carmen, and Alice looked at each other and then they dropped what they were doing and ran out after him.

Bella had had a few conversations with Jacob when he had come by the homestead during his few breaks from being out on the range. They'd developed some semblance of friendship over their conversations about horses, his tribe, his family, and things like that, so she didn't feel awkward as she rushed up to his side as he practically jogged towards the barn, Carmen and Alice just barely trailing behind.

"Jacob, what's going on? What's wrong?"

He frowned and simply said, "There's a herd of cattle dying out by the north east corner of the ranch."

* * *

**A/N:**

Translation of Spanish phrases

"_Sinvergüenza sin respeto_," = "Man without shame or respect." (this is one of those that doesn't traslate so well _Sinvergüenza _literally means "one without shame," but it's also akin to calling one an idiot or some sort of similar insult)

_viejo = _old man. Used as a term of endearment here.

"_Si, nomas quería decirte que te amo._" = "Yes, I just wanted to tell you that I love you."

"_Yo también te amo, mi Eleazar_." = "I love you, too, my Eleazar."

"_Gracias por ser mi esposa, Carmen. Tú has hecho mi vida más feliz que pudio imaginar_." "Thank you for being my wife, Carmen. You've made my life happier than I could have imagined."

"_Duérmete, vejo_." = "Sleep, old man."


	66. Chapter 66

The men were hurrying around and with Carmen, Alice, and Bella's help they had packed enough supplies to be out on the range a couple of days. The watering hole where the cattle were falling ill and dying off was a half day's ride from the homestead. Jacob hadn't been with that herd, but had happened upon it on his way back towards the ranch for a couple of days off from the range. Jared and Paul had been with the sick herd and Jared had been about to make his way to the homestead to get help, but they'd been delayed because both men were feeling poorly themselves, so Jacob had ridden through the night after making sure they were all right.

He'd told them not to drink the water and had left them with what little water he had on him.

Because of the nature of the situation, Jasper was going to go with them, see if he could help out a bit and check if it was foul play. It was just a bit fishy that the cattle would start dying off at the same time that they'd been having problems with cattle rustling. And, from what Jacob had said, it looked as if the water had been tainted. Luckily Paul and Jared hadn't had a chance to drink much of it, having emptied out the canteens they had on them before turning to the watering hole to top off their supply of water.

It was decided that Alice would wait at the homestead till the following day to head back to town. Eleazar would ride her into town when he went in to pick up supplies for the week. They were going to need plenty since his purpose in staying behind was not only to pick up the supplies and watch the homestead, but he also had the added task of sending all the cowpokes that came in back out onto the range so they could get message out to the others about what was going on and to divert any other herds from going to that particular watering hole. They would need to take enough supplies with them to last them several weeks since there was no saying when they would be able to come back to the homestead to get more.

As Emmett, Edward, Jasper, and Jacob got ready to leave, Bella gave Jasper a hug first then left him to say goodbye to Alice. She smiled at Jacob and told him to be careful and then she hugged her big brother goodbye.

"You be careful out there, Bear. Something isn't right about all this," she said softly.

Emmett hugged her and just said, "It'll be all right, Bells, help Eleazar and Carmen hold down the fort. I doubt I'll be back before the week is through."

She nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then turned to Edward who stood nearby holding Chester by his reins. Going up to him she put her hands on the reins near his and looked up at him. He smiled down at her with that ever endearing crooked smile and without a word he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

Blushing she whispered, "I love you."

He winked and said, "Love you, too, Bella."

That was all that needed be said between them and with another quick kiss he swung up into the saddle and Bella stepped away from his horse.

Now the men were just waiting on Jasper, who was hugging Alice, holding her right up off the ground so her feet were dangling at least a foot above it. She whispered something in his ear that made him laugh loudly, an unusual sound coming from Jasper, and then he kissed her and set her on her feet.

He climbed onto his own mount and with one last glance at the people they were leaving behind, they rode away.

As they rushed off in the direction of the sick and dead cattle, Jasper was still chuckling to himself and it was Emmett that finally asked. "All right, what'd she tell you? I doubt it was anything dirty…this is Alice we're talking about after all."

Jasper shrugged and answered, "She told me to aim for the chest and not the head if we get in trouble. The chest is a bigger target."

Edward and Emmet both looked shocked by that response and Jacob actually chuckled. Both men had known Alice since her arrival and they couldn't imagine sweet little religious Alice saying such a thing…no matter how feisty she was. Of course Jasper knew a lot more about her than they did.

)( )( )( )(

Bella, Alice, Carmen, and Eleazar were all quiet through supper, and, while this was not an unusual thing for Eleazar, the other three women would usually be chattering away. But, they were all worried about what was going on with the cattle and what the men had to deal with. After picking at their food and just pushing it around on their plates for a bit, it was decided that they should all head to bed early. Eleazar telling Alice that they would head out to town at first light.

Alice came into Bella's room for a bit of a chat like she used to do when she lived there and while they tried to ignore the fact that they were both worried it just didn't work and it wasn't long before Alice had hugged Bella goodnight and made her way back across the hall to her room.

Bella couldn't sleep. She was worried that something was going to happen to Edward, Emmett, Jasper, or the other men. It might have been something natural that had tainted the waterhole, but Jacob had looked skeptical at the suggestion. And, if it hadn't been something naturally occurring, well, she didn't want to think about the alternative. Who would do such a thing?

After lying in bed a while, worrying, wishing Edward were there with her, she remembered something. Getting out of bed she went to her dresser and found the shirt he had put on her the first day they had met. She had always intended to give it back to him, but she'd never gotten around to it. Slipping it on she hugged the fabric around herself and settled more peacefully now that she had something that belonged to him wrapped around her, finding some comfort in the idea that it was almost as if he were holding her.

And, that's how she finally drifted off to sleep.

She slept so peacefully in fact that when there were screams through the house they barely penetrated her unconscious mind and it wasn't till Alice came into her room, screaming that she woke up, looking around in panicked, dazed confusion as Alice started to yank her out of the bed.

"Bella! BELLA! GET UP! C'mon! The barn is on fire!"


	67. Chapter 67

Bella started to run out with Alice, their hands still clasped together as they made their way down the stairs and out the front door. Bella gasped at feeling the chilled boards of the front porch on her bare feet and the bite of the evening's cold air in her chest as she gulped for air.

Alice was in her high-collared, long sleeved cotton nightgown and Bella was in a similar gown, but had the added protection from the night's cold with Edward's shirt.

As soon as they had stepped out, the smell of smoke had assaulted her nostrils and the glow in the night's shadows just didn't seem right. As they turned the corner of the house, they saw that part of the barn was on fire and that Carmen, Eleazar, and Tyler, the only people at the homestead other than themselves, were running from the direction of the bunkhouse and Eleazar and Carmen's small house.

Bella and Alice just paused for a moment as did the others as the stared in awe at the scene in front of them, but it was only a second's pause before there was a flurry of activity. Tyler and Carmen had run to the barrel of water and were pulling pails out to douse the flames while Eleazar raced forward to open the pen and let the animals out. The poor creatures were rightfully panicking with the goats crying out in panic as they threw themselves against the fence that was penning them in.

Bella's heart was hammering in her chest as she lifted up the hem of her gown and ran towards the back entrance of the barn, anxious to get to Eclipse and the other animals within to let them free before they burned to death.

She didn't hear Alice or Eleazar crying out after her and she made her way to the back entrance, rushing inside even as she was assailed by a cloud of smoke.

It was like entering hell. The place was going up fast and she didn't even have to think twice as she ran to the stalls holding in the workhorses and Eclipse. She began to throw open the stall doors and the horses ran out, instinctively running towards the exit towards escape from the fire that had engulfed one of the walls of the barn and was now spreading to the roof.

Coughing against the smoke she lifted up part of Edward's shirt and used it to cover her mouth as she made her way towards the stall holding the milk cow and the one next to it holding a couple of donkeys. She let the donkeys loose and watched as they tried to make a run for it as well and was trying to pull the mooing, frightened cow out of the barn when she suddenly felt someone grab her and pull her off her feet.

At first she thought it was Eleazar that had come after her and was trying to get her out, but then as she twisted around to see who it was she realized that the person had a handkerchief over the lower half of their face and that it wasn't Eleazar or even Tyler. The menace she saw in this person's eyes told her that this was someone that meant her harm and she started to scream and struggle as the stranger started to haul her out of the barn.

Once they had come out of the front of the barn into the penned area that Eleazar had been opening, the roar of the fire was not as loud as it had been inside the barn. She was coughing, still trying to clear the smoke from her lungs when the sounds outside the barn hit her. Alice was screaming at the top of her lungs and was on some other masked man's back pounding at him and biting at him. If it weren't for the shock of everything else that was going on, she might have been surprised by the stream of profanities that were pouring out of Alice's mouth. Tyler was lying on the ground at the feet of the man that Alice was attacking, a bloody wound to his head showing he had been knocked unconscious. Even as the man that Alice was after was trying to get her off his back, yelling, "Get'er off me!"

She struggled even more against the man holding her and tried fighting as well, but he had a strong grip and was holding her in a way that made it hard with her arms pinned to her sides and her back to him. As she started to scream she saw Eleazar running around the side of the barn. He had been looking for her and as he turned the corner and saw her struggling in the stranger's embrace he came towards them, obviously intent on helping her. She felt her captor's hold on her shift as he freed up one of his arms while the other held her firmly around her waist. Before she knew what was happening the man had un-holstered his sidearm and he lifted it and fired at Eleazar, hitting him right in the chest.

Eleazar fell backwards without making so much as a sound.

She didn't hear anything for a moment, the world going silence in the shock of what had happened and it was only when she heard Carmen screaming —unearthly, devastated sounds —that she started to struggle again, screaming as well.

The man holding her was carting her off and she turned to where Alice was still fighting off the other masked man. At that moment the man managed to pull Alice off his back and he roared as Alice kicked out at him, almost catching him right in the balls, but she only just managed to kick the inside of his thigh. In anger, the man lifted a fist and punched Alice so that she went out like a light, crumpling onto Tyler's unconscious form.

Carmen was cradling Eleazar's head in her lap, her hand pressing down on a wound on Eleazar's chest and she was wailing as blood poured from between her fingers.

Bella was crying now, the tears leaving trails down her sot covered face and she screamed and struggled, "Let me go!"

But, the grip around her just tightened and a husky voice whispered in her ear, "Stop your crying now or I'll ask my partner over there to shoot the little lady in the head." When she slumped in his arms in defeat, sobbing he nuzzled her neck and kissed the side of it, saying, "Now, that's my girl."

Then he was hauling her off towards the far side of the house where the man who had knocked out Alice was waiting on his horse, holding the reins of another horse.

The man holding her said, "Help me here a second, will ya?"

"What? You're bringing her with us? That's not the plan! Just throw her down and have your jollies with her and get it over with if that's what you want! We have time. The hellcat and the young guy are knocked out and that old fella's probably dead. The old broad, well, if she bothers up we can shoot her too."

Bella felt like she was going to throw up as fear clenched at her heart.

The man holding her lifted his gun and pointed it at his partner. "We're doing this my way. Now help me get her on the horse with me." He cocked the gun. "Now."

The other man simply said, "Well, shit, James. You don't have to get so 'ornary about it!" as he dismounted.

James. Bella knew that name and now she remembered the man that had met Mr. Mallory at the coach stop her first day here, the man that had stared at her and had fought with Edward at the dance.

"Shut up, Laurent," James said.

She pondered running, but was afraid that they would hurt Alice or Carmen if she got away and before she could ponder another course of action, Laurent grabbed her just as James let go. After James was on his horse Laurent lifted her up and James pulled her into the saddle in front of him, only waiting long enough for Laurent to swing into his own saddle before he dug his heels into the side of his horse, urging him into a full run.

As they rode off she sobbed, but even her cries weren't loud enough to drown out the sound of the barn collapsing in on itself as it burned to the ground or the sound of Carmen's mournful wails that seemed to haunt the night air.


	68. Chapter 68

When the men had arrived at the watering hole where they were having the problem, Edward had scowled and Emmett had screamed out a curse. Dead cattle were littering the landscape and the few that were left standing where unsteady on their feet. They said nothing and it was finally Jared and Paul that broke the silence as they approached, both men pale.

"You bring any water?" asked Jared in a shaky voice.

Jacob nodded wordless and tossed him one of several large canteens that they brought along with them along with other supplies on a spare horse. He drank thirstily and only stopped when Jasper's said, "Take it easy there. Might be a shock to your system."

Jared nodded and handed the canteen to Paul who also downed a healthy portion.

"You both all right?" asked Emmett.

Both men nodded and it was Paul that finally spoke. "Better. It gripped at our guts pretty bad and we were so dang thirsty. Was all we could do not to drink the water though we knew it was the root of the problem. We've been trying to keep the cattle away from the water, but it seemed impossible with them and us as sick as we are."

Edward nodded and lifting up his cowboy hat he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "How many heads of cattle were in this herd?"

Jared looked over his shoulder and frowned. "Fifty."

"One of the smaller herds?" Jasper asked Emmett.

Emmett just nodded and all six men looked at the scene in front of them, another one of the cows going down right before their eyes, the dust rising up around it as it landed with a hard sound on the ground.

The dismounted, took in the sight and Emmett finally sighed and turning in the direction of Edward he asked, "So what now? We pile them up and start burning the carcasses?"

Edward nodded. "Seems like the best plan."

Jacob agreed. "Disease will spread otherwise."

Emmett nodded and frowned. "Well, need to work on this first. We can pile up the carcasses over there and light them up come tomorrow. Will probably take a whole days work to get them piled up anyhow. Eleazar's going to try to get word out to the men on the range to keep the cattle away from here, luckily no herds were due to be rotated here for another couple of weeks."

He turned to Jared and Paul. "You two sure you're all right?" When both men nodded he continued. "I'll send you back to the homestead or to town to get doctored up if you need it." When both men shook their heads he nodded. "Right then. The extra horses will come in handy, but neither of you are to do too much. That understood?"

When both men agreed he nodded and sighed. "Let's get to work then."

)( )( )( )(

The men worked throughout the afternoon and into the early evening till it got too dark to do more. They had used the seven horses available to them to drag the carcasses into a rough pile of sort and had shot some of the sicker cattle, sparing them the misery of being in pain.

By the time they settled around their campfire for the evening, the men were exhausted. Even their horses were tired after all the work. Luckily, the ladies had had the foresight to pack several large milk jugs, each holding several gallons, with water and these were used to sate the horses' thirst as well as their own. With the fresh water, both Paul and Jared seemed to be feeling better and seemed to be in the clear.

The men were so tired in fact that barely a word was spoken as they ate the supper that Carmen had packed for them and then each retreated to their bedrolls around the campfire to get some rest.

All, except Edward.

Something was eating at him and he just couldn't figure out what. He would doze every now and then, but then would wake back up with a start. He figured with as tired as he was and with all the work he knew he had ahead of him the next day that he would be sleeping like a log, but that just wasn't the case and it was like his body was telling him something that his mind and heart just hadn't grasped.

At one point when he woke up, unable to get back to sleep he got up and went to look towards the horizon in the direction of the homestead. Towards Bella.

As he stood there, something didn't seem quite right and what seemed like an orange star on the very edge of the horizon caught his eye. This was odd since high cloud cover had made it a starless night and even the moon was barely peeking out. He squinted a bit and he swore he saw a wisp of smoke and his eyes widened and he was hollering, "Everyone, get up! GET UP!"

He didn't even bother to gather up his bedding and was already heading towards the horses.

The rest of the men were jumping out of their bedrolls, looking for a threat and not seeing one they looked around in confusion.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked, his gun still in hand as he continued to wait for something to jump out at him.

As Edward untethered his horse he pointed towards the horizon. "Fire!"

The men looked towards where he pointed and didn't immediately grasp what he was saying, but it was Jacob that finally spoke up. "I think he's right. That's coming from the homestead."

The men didn't need more confirmation and they were all racing to get to their mounts, even Paul and Jared.

Emmett managed to call out. "Jared, you stay here. Don't do anything! Turn others away if you see them coming here with any herds!"

Edward was already racing away, Jasper, Jacob, Paul, and now Emmett following at full hilt through the night in the direction of the homestead. None of them giving much thought to the fact that it was dangerous to ride at full speed on such a dark night all of them just anxious to get to the homestead.

The ride between the watering hole and the homestead usually took a half day's ride at a good trot, at full speed on tired horses that they were running into the ground it would still take them several hours to get there. As they rode none of them slowed enough to exchange any words, but the panic was evident on each of their faces, but especially Emmett, Edward, and Jasper's. Jacob and Paul had made friends at the ranch, but the fear that clenched at the other three was due to the threat that the people they held most dear in the world were probably facing and they couldn't get to them fast enough.

As they rode, the sun began to rise over the horizon, illuminating the sky in shades of purple, pink and orange. As the day began to dawn and things were more visible as they got closer and closer, their worst fears were confirmed. They had all been hoping that somehow what they had seen was a fluke..that they were wrong and that there was no fire, but as the sky lit up and the raced on ahead the plume of black smoke that marred the vista of the sky in front of them like an ugly scar was like a lance of fear piercing them straight through their hearts.


	69. Chapter 69

The plume of smoke that was rising from the homestead grew larger as they got closer and the men pushed their already worn out horses even more as they as the sense of urgency rose inside them. When they neared the homestead they saw that the barn was nothing more than a pile of ash, and though the rest of the buildings were intact, they were still in a panic as they practically threw themselves off their horses once they were up next to the barn, their mounts trembling and panting, practically falling off their feet in exhaustion.

As they rushed up past the barn, they noticed a small pool of blood on the ground and this set the men running towards the house, crying out.

"Bella!" "Alice!"

A trembling, frightened looking Alice walked around the side of the house and when they saw her, the men's eyes widened and Jasper ran forward towards her. She was hardly recognizable at first with the right side of her face completely bruised and swollen. They were used to seeing Alice as the prim and proper little lady and she looked anything but with her beaten face and the men's clothing she was wearing. The clothes, which belonged to Tyler, hung a bit loosely on her frame with rolled up sleeves and a belt keeping it in place.

She was lifted off her feet by Jasper and she clung to him a moment even as Edward and Emmett ran forward, screaming for Bella.

Alice finally had enough presence of mind to say, "She…she's not here!"

Both men stopped in their tracks and Jasper set her down and looked at her, his hands on her shoulders.

"What do you mean she's not here, Alice?" Jasper asked with a frown.

She turned her gaze to Edward and Emmett who had stopped nearby, fear clearly etched in their features.

"They…they took her," she said.

All the men looked as if they had been punched in the gut.

"I…I was going to try to find a way to get to town, but the horses ran off when they were set loose in the fire," she said in a steadier voice and taking a deep breath she pushed away her weariness and her fear again as she had been since she'd woken up to Carmen's wails only to find herself lying on an unconscious Tyler.

Despite the fact that she was hurting she'd taken charge then. She'd made sure Tyler was still breathing and then rushed over to Carmen's side. Eleazar was unconscious and clearly in a bad way, but he was still breathing too and she had had to shake Carmen out of her grief making her realize that Eleazar was still alive, but that they had to get him away from the fire.

In the back of her mind she knew that Bella was gone, but she had more immediate things to attend to and with Carmen's help they somehow managed to get Eleazar inside the house where they set him up in the parlor while Alice ran out again to check on Tyler.

All night both women had been dealing with two unconscious men. Tyler wasn't waking up and while they had patched Eleazar up as best they could, they knew that they needed Dr. Cullen. She also knew that she had to get word to someone about Bella. She'd dressed in some of Tyler's clothes, prepared to ride into town, when she realized that all the horses had run off when set loose during the fire.

That was when the panic had started to set in.

Carmen was in a catatonic state, never leaving poor Eleazar's side. The older man had woken up groaning in pain several times and Tyler had been pistol whipped so good that she didn't know if he was ever going to wake up.

She was on her own and she didn't know what to do. She'd been strong up until that point, keeping a level head, but now…now she was about to lose it.

That was when she'd heard the men outside screaming for her and Bella.

Now the men were desperate to know what happened and she explained as best she could, Jasper asking at one point if the bastard that had hit her had done anything else to her, and she continued after reassuring him that it was. That had been the only time she'd been interrupted.

They were in a panic by the time she was done and it was obvious that none of them knew where to start. They knew that they had to go after Bella and see to the injured men, but their horses really were to the point of collapsing, despite this Edward was already rushing towards Chester.

Jacob frowned and interjected at this point stopping Edward who looked as if he were about to kill Jacob if that's what it took to get away. But, Jacob was able to keep more of a rational head since he was not as close to the situation at hand. "Go check on Eleazar, Carmen, and Tyler and start gathering some supplies. We're going to need to pack light and going to need plenty of ammunition. Paul and I will round up some fresh mounts then he'll go into town and get the doctor to come out."

Edward looked as if he were about to lose it, as did Emmett, they both wanted to run out after Bella, but at this point Jasper looked their way and said, "He's right. Our horses aren't going to be able to take us out the way they are and we need to be prepared for what we'll be facing."

Emmett stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists as he swallowed thickly, but he nodded. Edward stood there with a clenched jaw and turned, punching the side of the house.

Jacob and Paul didn't say another word and turning they headed back to the horses, picking the hardiest of the tired bunch as they set out to find the horses that had run off.

The rest of them made their way inside where they found Carmen in the living room sitting on the floor next to Eleazar who had been placed on a mattress that she and Alice had managed to drag downstairs from one of the bedrooms.

Emmett, Edward, and Jasper were shocked by the scene in front of them. Eleazar had always been a quiet man, but he had been so alive, strong, and full of energy. The image of the man lying in the middle of the parlor with his pallor pale under his tanned skin with bandages wrapped around his chest that had specks of blood seeping through was a frightening thing and it told them how violent the situation really had been last night.

Carmen had also seemed to age years overnight and the spirited woman they knew was just kneeling there, next to her wounded husband, holding his hand to her chest with both her own as she rocked back and forth a bit.

Edward moved forward first and quietly knelt next to Carmen while Emmett went to the other side of the mattress and took Eleazar's other hand. Without a word Carmen turned her head and rested it on Edward's shoulder and started to cry. Edward frowned and wrapped his arms around her, not knowing what to say.

Eleazar opened his eyes with a groan as if sensing their presence and he took a shaky breath and rasped out, "_Agua_."

Carmen reached for a nearby glass of water, but Emmett leaned over and said in a soft voice, "I got it, Carmen."

He got the water and with more gentleness than one would expect from a man his size, he helped Eleazar lift his head enough to get a sip of water.

The older man coughed a bit and grimaced in pain as Emmett set him carefully back down. Frowning Eleazar looked from Emmett to Edward and he whispered out, "_Perdonen me_."

Edward shook his head and said hoarsely, "_No ay nada que perdonar_."

Eleazar simply closed his eyes and said, "_Se la llevaron_."

"We'll get her back," said Edward.

Eleazar sighed, nodded a bit and he said softly as he drifted into unconsciousness once again, "_Y maten a esos cabrones_."

Edward managed the tiniest bit of a smile and leaning over he kissed the old man's forehead and then hugged a crying Carmen close. Emmett also leaned over and said something softly to Eleazar that no one heard before he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the older man's forehead before he cleared his throat hoarsely and stood up.

* * *

Translations for Spanish in chapter:

"_Agua_." = "Water."

"_Perdonen me_." = "Forgive me."

"_No ay nada que perdonar_." = "There's nothing to forgive."

"_Se la llevaron_." = "They took her."

"_Y maten a esos cabrones_." = "And kill those assholes."

* * *

**A/N: I have been trying to upload this chapter for several days, but as many of you know, there have been difficulties in doing so due to issues with the site. I sincerely apologize and didn't mean to leave any of you hanging. I will try and post again tomorrow.**


	70. Chapter 70

While they had been with Carmen and Eleazar and then had checked on an unconscious Tyler, Alice and Jasper had made their way back out onto the porch where they could be heard arguing. Edward and Emmett made their way outside, but stopped short when they heard the words coming out of Alice's mouth.

"I don't give a shit, Jasper Whitlock!"

Jasper's expression was murderous and would have set anyone running for cover, but Alice didn't seem in the least bit fazed. "You are _not_ coming with us!"

"You yourself said that you wished you all had more men to help you with this fight and I can help!"

"God damn it, Alice!" he looked as if he wanted to choke her.

"What's going on?" asked Emmett.

"I'm going with you," said Alice, her definite glare never leaving Jasper.

Emmet replied, "Now, Alice, honey, I know you stood your own last, night but I don't think a lady…"

Before he could say another word Alice strode forward glared up to him and her hand shot out and she took his pistol from the holster at his hip.

"What the…!" Emmett said in a startled tone, but her look said that she would turn the gun on him and he figured that she'd end up shooting herself or something if he tried to take it away. He just hoped her intention wasn't to shoot Jasper.

"We don't have the fucking time to be…" Edward started to say, but then Alice turned, lifted the gun and shot at a birdhouse perched on a post not far off the front of the house.

The men ducked a bit, not having expected her to shoot, but then they straightened up and Emmett said, "What the hell were you aiming at!"

"The birdhouse," said Alice.

"You missed," scowled Edward.

Jasper ran his hand over his face and said tiredly. "No, she didn't."

"What do you mean she didn't? I can see plain as day that she didn't hit the damn thing!" Emmett exclaimed.

"She was aiming for the perch underneath the hole where the birds go in," Jasper scowled.

Emmett and Edward both blinked and looked at the birdhouse again. Sure enough the small two inch peg that had been sticking out the front for the birds to perch on was missing. They didn't understand what the heck was going on, but obviously there was more to Alice than they knew about.

"And, I'm even better with a rifle than I am a pistol," she said to the astonished men. Then she turned back to Jasper. "You need me, Jasper. I'm the best shot amongst all of you. I promise not to get in the thick of things if I can help it, but I can provide good cover from a distance if it comes to that."

Jasper still didn't seemed too sure.

"Besides, if I go with you, you can keep an eye on me. I won't be forced to follow you and I won't be left unprotected." Now the guys knew that she was fighting dirty, playing to their sense of guilt over the fact that they had not been there to help her and to stop Bella from being taken.

Frowning Jasper nodded.

)( )( )( )(

Jacob and Paul returned not too long after Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice had finished gathering what supplies they needed. It had been little over an hour since they had arrived, but it felt like forever. When Jacob and Paul arrived they were leading five horses, including Eclipse.

Edward and Emmett both actually got a bit choked up when the saw the horse. Jacob explained how they had found a couple not too far away at the holding pens north of the homestead. Eclipse had actually been the first mount they'd found, the mare having actually been headed back to the homestead on her own.

While they got the horses ready, Jacob stated that he had already tracked what he thought must be the kidnappers' trail and he had a general idea where to go. When Edward asked how he knew Jacob had calmly pointed out how there were only one set of fresh tracks leading away from the homestead headed towards the northwest corner of the ranch, away from town.

Although Paul wanted to go along, Emmett knew he still wasn't completely fit and he asked that Paul do him a favor instead.

"I need you to go into town and get Doc Cullen to come and check on Eleazar and Tyler. The old man don't look too good and that kid ain't woken up yet, which has me concerned."

Paul nodded and Edward came up and added. "Don't tell my uncle about Bella or the rest of what's going on until you're on your way here. Tell him…tell him Tyler fell and hit his head when you get there, that'll get him to come, but only tell him about Eleazar being shot when you're alone…in his office or something so he brings the right equipment and all. My aunt…she'd probably take the news about all this pretty hard and she's…in family way. Please."

Paul frowned a bit but nodded, showing he understood.

Emmett followed Paul to one of the horses. "I need you to do something else for me in town."

"All right," Paul said, waiting.

"I need you to go to the saloon and ask Rosie to come to the ranch."

Paul frowned. "All right. What should I tell her?"

"Don't let anyone in town know what's going on. That'll cause a panic and send half the men in town on their own searches for Bella. It'll just complicate things. Tell her…tell her…"

Emmett had told Rosie that he wanted her, that he wanted to marry her, that he loved her, but there was one thing that he'd never said to her.

"Tell her I need her. Just that. Just tell her I need her and that she has to come to the ranch. You can fill her in on what's going on when you're on the way back when you fill in Dr. Cullen."

Emmett sighed. "Listen Paul. Eleazar's not doing so well, Carmen ain't going to leave his side and we don't know if Tyler's going to wake up at all. If you feel up to it I need you to get word out to the cowpokes about the herds and the watering hole. You also need to warn them to be watching out for any other troubles. I don't know when I'll be back. But, while I'm gone, Rosie's in charge and I need you to have her back. Got it?" He knew the men that worked for him, and while he trusted them, he knew that there was no one else he could trust above Rosie with the way things were right then.

Paul gave him a weary look but nodded.

"You got it boss. What do I say if anyone asks about the smoke?"

Emmett frowned at that and considered. "Tell them we built a new chicken coop because the old one was rotting and we burned the timbers. Hopefully people'll buy that."

Paul nodded and mounted one of the horses that they'd brought with them from the watering hole, leaving the fresher mounts for the group going out to search for Bella.

"You be careful out there, boss. I know you'll find her."

Emmett nodded and patted Paul's horse on its flanks, sending it on its way. Paul didn't push the animal too hard, but he took the horse at a steady trot as he hurried towards town.

"Emmett!" Edward called out, "We gotta go!"

Edward was already on Eclipse, the mare moving restlessly back and forth underneath him, as if she too were ready to go and find her mistress and bring her home.

Emmett ran towards his mount and swung onto its back in a hurry. He was barely settled in the saddle before they took off. The group of five —Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Jacob— on their way to get Bella back.


	71. Chapter 71

Bella had barely been able to breathe as they rode off into the night, James holding her close with one hand while his other hands controlled the reins of the grey horse that they were riding on. He was squeezing her too tight around her ribcage for her to get a full breath of air and of course it didn't help that she had been breathing in a lot of smoke in the fire and that she had been sobbing ever since he had shot Eleazar and threatened to kill Alice. Eventually, the sobs had died down, but she was still crying silent tears as they continued to ride off to who-knows-where.

She had no idea what she was going to do. She saw James kill Eleazar. Tyler had looked as if he might be dead, too. Carmen had probably gone crazy with grief. She wasn't sure if Alice even knew how to ride a horse since she'd never seen her actually do it, not that there were any horses left at the homestead. And, she had no idea how far out Edward, her brother, and the other men were so she wasn't sure if they had even seen that there had been a fire. If they hadn't they might not make their way back to the homestead for over a week judging by what Emmett had told her.

In other words, she was in trouble. Deep trouble.

Eventually, the sun came up, but James and Laurent never decreased the steady pace that their horses were taking. She was almost glad that they hadn't stopped yet since she had no idea what they were going to do to her once they did. She still felt fear wrap its fingers around her heart and squeeze whenever she remembered Laurent's suggestion that made to James that he have his "jollies" with her. She had a pretty good idea of what he meant and it was terrifying to think that that was what James had in mind.

As they continued to ride she became so weary that she passed out, the emotional and physical drain of everything that had happened finally catching up to her.

In the haze of sleep, her mind seemed to wander to a more protective place and she dreamed of Edward's kissing her neck and caressing her side. These dreams seemed to lull her into and even deeper sleep.

As Bella slumped against him, her exhaustion taking over, James held her even closer and nuzzled her long mahogany hair, loving the way that the early day's sun seemed to bring out a reddish tint to her locks. She smelled like the smoke from the fire, but underneath that he could smell her own sweet scent.

He couldn't believe he finally had her in his arms.

As she slept he kissed the side of her neck and he caressed her side under her shirt with his thumb, tempted to bring his hand higher to rest on her breasts which were gently bouncing with the movement of his horse, but he kept his desires in check. Now was not the time or place.

When they stopped by a thicket of trees near a small stream to rest and water the horses, Laurent wordless came over and helped get Bella down so James could dismount, the look on James face showing that there better not be any funny business.

After settling Bella on a patch of grass under one of the trees and making sure she was still out James went to fill up his canteen. Laurent was doing the same and he frowned in James' direction.

"What's the plan?" Laurent asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

James just shrugged, "Same as before."

"Wasn't sure and all considering _she_ ain't part of the plan!" Laurent said with a pointed look towards Bella.

James glared at him a moment with his cold blue eyes and responded in a low, deadly voice, "She's part of _my_ plan."

Laurent snorted and simply closed up his canteen before he headed back towards his horse, rummaging through the saddle bags for some hardtack to sate his hunger.

James finished filling up his canteen and then he glanced over at Bella as he heard a soft sound coming from her direction. She was starting to stir and while this was a good sign since it meant she was all right, he was concerned that she was going to cause trouble.

Frowning he went over and squatted down next to where she was starting to come to. As her brown eyes open he noticed the look of confusion at first, but when they rested on him he saw that look switch to fear and then anger as she sat up and scurried away from him a bit, glaring.

_Good_, he thought to himself, _she's a lady, but she also has some fire to her._

He held out the canteen to her. "You should drink. I'm sure you're thirsty. I'll get you something to eat."

She looked at him warily and it was a while before she reached out and took the canteen from him. Once the cool water touched her dry lips and went down her parched throat she couldn't help but drink thirstily.

Unsmiling, James watched her a moment then wordlessly got up and went to his horse. Reaching into one of the saddle bags he pulled out a piece of cloth and going to the stream he dipped it in then wrung it out and brought it back to her.

She didn't say anything as he held it out and when she didn't take it right away, he held it out a bit more. "Thought you might want to clean up. Your covered in sot."

Bella frowned and she wordlessly handed him back the canteen and shook her head. She wasn't going to accept any kind gesture from him and she'd only taken the water because she'd been so thirsty.

James shrugged and scowled at her, practically growling, "Suit yourself."

He got up and used the cloth to rub at his own face and neck and then he tossed it aside and went back to his horse. He got some jerky and hardtack he had wrapped up in there and tossed some onto Bella's lap. "Eat. You won't get a chance again till late this evening."

Bella tried to ignore the growl in her stomach and quietly at the bits of food that had landed on her sot covered nightdress. She was grateful for the fact that she was wearing Edward's shirt since it provided her with a bit of modesty and warmth.

As she ate she felt James and Laurent both watching her, but she ignored them and kept her eyes on her lap, still wondering what was to become of her. She thought about running, but when she'd hazard a look around there was nothing familiar, no landmarks, just wide open country where they could have easily have caught up to her, even if she did manage to take one of the horses.

Had Alice gotten word to anyone? Was anyone even looking for her?

As the fear began to gnaw at her again, she felt the flavorless food sit like a lump in her stomach and she stopped eating fearing that she would throw-up.

"You done then?" asked James.

He didn't even wait for her answer and then he walked over and was hauling her back onto her feet. She struggled a bit as he put his arms around her and drew her close, but then he lightly smacked her behind and sharply said, "Stop it now unless you want me to tie you up."

She looked at him, her brown eyes narrowed in a glare as the met his ice blue gaze. "Where are you taking me? What are you planning to do?"

James grinned and leaning in he kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. "Don't worry, darlin'. I'm going to take good care of you."

The feeling of his lips on her skin and his breath stirring her hair as he whispered in her ear made her nauseated. When he lifted his head and looked at her again, she noticed the softness in his eyes and that along with his words scared her more than anything.


	72. Chapter 72

Rose had been confused when Paul had come into the saloon and told her quietly that she needed to go back to the Big E with him. When she'd asked why, all Paul had said was that Emmett had told him to tell her that he needed her.

Emmett _needed_ her. He needed _her_.

She had never thought of Emmett Swan as needing anybody. She'd heard him say that he loved her, that he wanted her, and that he wanted to be with her, but the word need had never come into the conversation.

That was all it took.

She'd been about to walk out of the saloon then and there when Paul had stopped her and told her that she might want to pack some of her things and plan to be away for a couple of days. Rosie was a smart girl, so she knew better than to ask what was going on in the middle of the saloon, even if it was practically empty since it was so early in the day. Instead, she merely nodded and turned to hurry up in to her room where she threw the only decent dress she owned along with some fresh underthings and a nightdress into a pillow case along with the only two personal items she wasn't willing to lose: a picture of her momma and a necklace that Emmett had given her. They were two of her most prized possessions and she wasn't willing to leave them behind since she didn't trust Victoria and the other whores in the saloon.

As she made her way back downstairs she saw Paul frowning up at Felix. Paul wasn't saying much, well, actually he wasn't saying anything.

Felix turned his angry scowl on her as she moved towards them. "Where do you think you're going, Rosie?"

Rosie stopped and with a shrug she said, "Emmett needs me."

Felix shook his head and ran his hand over his face. "Listen here, Rose. I've put up with your little relationship with Emmett Swan long enough and I ain't taking it no more. Demetri and I brought you out here to work for us and you've let this thing with Emmett go on far too long. We've turned a blind eye to it since you're still our best girl. Now you're just going to up and leave for a couple of days? Just like that? Enough is enough. You ain't going."

She looked at him for a moment. Truth of the matter was, before Emmett the only man that she'd invited into her bed on a regular basis had been Felix. She knew that he'd never gotten over the fact that she didn't want him the way she wanted Emmett. He'd even once offered to leave his wife for her, but she had laughed off the offer as it was a joke, even though she knew he was serious. She wasn't the type to break up a family.

"I am going, Felix" she said with a pointed looked. "There ain't nothing you can do to stop me," and with that, she nodded at Paul and both of them headed in the direction of the exit.

She stopped for a moment when Felix called out, "You go and there won't be a place for you no more when you decide to come back."

Rosie stopped, turned, looked at him quietly for a moment and then Paul spoke up next to her, his voice quiet and urgent, "We got to go, Miss Rosie."

Rosie nodded and without a word she turned and walked with him out of the saloon, never once looking back.

)( )( )( )(

Rosie had listened quietly as Paul had explained to her and Dr. Cullen about what was going on with the ranch. He explained about the tainted watering hole, the fire, Bella being taken, and Eleazar and Tyler being hurt. Then he had told her what Emmett had said and she was more than a bit shocked when Paul explained that she was in charge.

She knew that she would do her best by Emmett, but her mind was already reeling with the responsibility of it all and she stayed quiet, only half-listening as Dr. Cullen asked again about Eleazar and Tyler's conditions getting what little information as he could from Paul who actually didn't know much.

As they pulled up close to the homestead Rosie took a deep breath. Truth of the matter was that she had never been out to the Big E, though Emmett had tried to drag her out several times. It was much grander than what she expected, but then again, despite the fact that the other whores, Demetri, her patrons and even Felix had told her that Emmett was well off, she'd never really cared to discover how well off. That wasn't why she loved Emmett.

Now, seeing how big of a spread he had she wondered what she was doing here and what she had gotten herself into, but she pushed that thought away as she remembered the Emmett needed her there, needed her help.

As they reached the front of the main house, Dr. Cullen grabbed his case of supplies and didn't even look back as he dismounted and ran inside the house to check on his patients, leaving Paul and Rosie outside.

Paul dismounted and tethered the good doctor's horse to the railing surrounding the porch after securing his own mount and Rosie did the same with the horse that Paul had acquired from Garrett for her.

She looked at the house a moment then she looked around and asked Paul as her gaze took in the surrounding land. "How many acres?"

Paul looked her way and shrugged. "Over a thousand probably closer to two, Miss Rosie, I ain't so sure. Probably only the boss, Edward, and Eleazar know for sure."

Rosie felt her heart start to pound faster in her chest as she heard that estimate. Her voice was surprisingly steady despite the awe of it all as she asked, "How many heads of cattle?"

Paul was a little surprised that she didn't already know all this information, but he answered her question, "Well over seven hundred I believe."

"Jesus Christ Almighty," she whispered under her breath.

"Ma'am?" Paul asked, not having heard her.

Despite the fear at the scope of it all, when she looked towards Paul her features were calm and collected. "I ain't going to have any trouble from you and the other men, am I, Paul?"

Paul frowned and shook his head. "I don't expect so, Miss Rosie. The boss put you in charge and that's that. He's been good to us cowpokes and we do as we're told. The men won't give you any trouble and if they do…I'll take care of it."

Just then both of them turned as they heard the screen door open and Carmen came out onto the porch, fury in her eyes and she hissed, "_¡¿Que esta 'siendo esa puta chingada aquí?"_

_

* * *

_

Translations for this chapter:

"_¡¿Que esta 'siendo esa puta chingada aquí?" _"What is that fucking whore doing here?"


	73. Chapter 73

Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Jacob had ridden throughout the day, but their progress was slow going. Jacob was a good tracker, but tracking wasn't something that could be done quickly and it took time to read the clues that would led them to Bell and the men that had taken her.

It also didn't help that none of the individuals in the group had gotten a good night's rest and sheer mental and physical fatigue was getting to them. The men had been working hard with the dead cattle the previous day, had only gotten a bit of sleep the previous night, and then they had been rushing back to the homestead. Alice had been up woken up by the fire and then she had spent the rest of the night and early morning dealing with the aftermath of the attack on the homestead. Despite their exhaustion, they rode on, but adrenaline, which had been the main thing that had kept them going, could only get them so far.

Eventually towards sunset, the trail that Jacob had been following led them to a thicket of trees and he suggested that they stopped for the night. Edward and Emmett had started to argue, but Jacob and Jasper were the voice of reason yet again.

"Jacob's right. The horses need to be rested up for tomorrow, we're ready to fall out of the saddle because we're tuckered out, and he can't very well be tracking them in the dark," Jasper said.

Emmett looked as if he was going to argue, but Edward beat him to it. "We have to keep going! She's out there and she needs us! We can't just quit now and leave her in the hands of those bastards!"

Through the whole day as they rode on, trying to catch up to Bella and the men that had taken her, thoughts about what could be happening to Bella were flitting through his mind, torturing him. Had they raped her? Had the beaten her? What if they killed her?

These thoughts kept him going, and it was all that he could do not to take the lead of the group past Jacob and just forge on ahead. He might have done this if he had any idea where to go. As it was he barely understood the signs that Jacob said he saw, assuring them that they were heading in the right direction.

It was Alice that spoke then, her voice soft, understanding, "Edward, I know you want to keep going. We all want to get Bella back, safe and sound, but if we were to keep going now we're not doing her or ourselves any good. We have to be able to keep going for who knows how long and Jacob really can't track in the dark." She held up her hand, stopping him as he started to argue. "He could try, but chances are he might misread things and we'd end up losing time by going in the wrong direction. We'll leave again at first light."

Edward clenched his jaw so tightly the muscles near his ear began to tick and he stormed off, not saying anything else.

Emmett was just as frustrated, but he understood the logic of what they were saying. It didn't mean he liked it though and he didn't say a word as he started to help make camp for the night.

Jasper started a campfire and it wasn't long before Jacob came back to the campsite with two rabbits that he had managed to snare for dinner. As the meat cooked on a spit over the open flames Jasper quietly watched as he stayed close to Alice. It was finally Alice that spoke up, asking Jacob, "How far behind are we?"

Jacob looked across the flames to her and he frowned, his brows drawing together thoughtfully. "We are far behind, but fortunately it is no more than a day's ride." He looked around the clearing then. "They were here, most likely late this morning."

Jasper frowned and asked, "How do you know?"

Jacob shrugged. "There were horses' tracks and three sets of footprints when we rode in. Two men walked around the area, and there are a woman's bare footprints in a smaller space there, under that tree. There is also a cloth there," he pointed with a stick, "that was used for someone to clean up then tossed aside, judging by how dried out it was and it's position where it wouldn't have been hit by direct sunlight, mid- to late morning is my best estimation."

Emmett listened to this for a moment and then he asked, "Can we catch up to them?"

Jacob looked at him a moment then said, "Everyone can be caught up to, Emmett, it's just a question of how long it takes to do so. They have a destination in mind. They cannot run forever."

Emmett looked tired, angry, and worried as he nodded and asked more quietly, his voice, full of emotion, barely heard above the crackling of the wood in the campfire. "Can we catch up to them before they kill her?"

It was Jasper that spoke up at this point. "I don't think that they want to kill her, Emmett. If they did, they'd have done it already."

Emmett nodded, still looking unsure and he didn't say anything else. Getting up he went to look for Edward.

Edward had stayed away from the group, watching the horizon from the outskirts of the thicket of trees where they had camped for the night and just watched the horizon as if he hoped that Bella would appear at any moment or he would see some sort of sign telling him where to go.

When Emmett came to stand next to him, he didn't even turn to look at him and they both stood there in silence.

When Emmett finally spoke, his voice was full of emotion. "She's alive, you know. She has to be."

Edward didn't look his way or say anything, but he nodded.

"We'll get her back," Emmett said in a hoarse voice, reaching out to squeeze Edward's shoulder.

Edward visibly swallowed back his own emotions and nodded again, his eyes never leaving the horizon.

The two men stood there in silence for a while and it was Emmett that spoke again. "C'mon. We should eat and lie down. I know we won't be sleeping, but we should try to rest up a bit so we can be ready to catch up to those bastards tomorrow."

Edward nodded again and followed Emmett back to the campfire. Once there they saw Jacob nibbling on a bit of food. Jasper and Alice were also sitting closely together nearby, eating in silence.

Edward didn't think he could eat so he quietly got his bedroll and set it out under a nearby tree, unaware of the fact that he was lying on the same spot where Bella had been earlier that day and he turned his back to his companions as he got lost in his thoughts.

No one was in much of a talkative mood, but eventually he noticed the sounds of his friends moving about slowly die out and the sounds of the night take over. After a while he turned around again, angling his body to face the campfire and he noticed the Emmett was lying nearby on his bedroll, his large arm slung across his eyes. Jacob was on first watch and was not within his field of vision. Alice and Jasper were curled up together on the other side of the campfire and it took him a while to realize that they weren't sleeping, instead, Jasper was holding Alice close, his lips brushing against the bruised side of her face gently, as if trying to kiss away the pain. Edward couldn't help but watch the intimate exchange for a moment, his heart aching as he wished he could be holding Bella the same way, and it was a while before he turned his back to the scene again, the pain in his chest growing.

He knew that he would give his life to make sure that Bella was safe…and if she was dead, his life was over anyway.


	74. Chapter 74

Rosie didn't know much Spanish, but she definitely knew what the word _puta_ meant, and as she heard the word escape from between Carmen's lips and saw the anger in her eyes, her own blue eyes flashed with anger and her beautiful features turned cold. Emmett had told her about Carmen and she knew that he loved and respected the older woman, and while she wouldn't have taken this behavior from anyone, she took Emmett's feelings into consideration as well as the fact that Carmen was probably sick with worry over her husband.

Luckily, before Carmen could say anything else, Paul, looking more than a bit uncomfortable, interjected, saying, "Come now, Carmen, no need to be behaving like that now."

Carmen had turned her glare on Paul, actually making him wince and fidget a bit and then she said, "I asked what that whore is doing here!"

Rosie spoke up at this point, her voice calm, but firm, "Emmett asked me to come."

Carmen turned her glare back on Rosie, "_¡No estoy hablando con tigo, puta chingada!_"

Rosie pursed her lips and Paul, still looking more than a bit uncomfortable, said, "Carmen, the boss asked me to get her. She's in charge till he gets back."

"WHAT!" at this point it looked like Carmen was going to launch herself right off the porch to tackle Rosie, but Carlisle stepped out behind Carmen, his own face showing wariness at the situation.

"Ladies, I think that's enough for now, there are other more important matters at hand and I'm going to need some help treating Eleazar and Tyler."

Carmen's expression completely changed and she once again looked like a tired old woman as she looked to Carlisle. "What do we have to do?"

"Well, we're going to have to get the bullet out. I'm pretty sure one of his lungs has been affected, but I think he might be able to heal. Main thing is that we get the bullet out and try to prevent infection."

Rosie, ignoring Carmen's earlier behavior made her way up the stairs. "And, Tyler, Doc?"

Carmen didn't say anything as Rosie came up next to her, but she stiffened up a bit.

"He's had a pretty good hit to the head," Carlisle answered, "and head injuries are always tricky. In his case I think we just have to wait and see."

"What do you need?" asked Rosie.

"I'm going to need some assistance with the surgery I got to do on Eleazar."

"I'll do it," said Carmen in a shaky voice.

Carlisle shook his head. "I'm sorry, Carmen, but it's best that you not be there. You're too close to him and it'll be harder on you…and me."

"I'll do it then," said Rosie.

Carmen looked as if she were about to argue and smack Rosie down when Carlisle said, "I think that'd be best. I'll go get things ready." And, with that, he turned to go back inside.

Rosie nodded and turned to Paul, who was still standing nearby.

"Paul, I know you must be plain tuckered out, but I'd appreciate your help."

Paul nodded, "Whatever you need, Miss Rosie."

"From what you said Emmett wants word gotten out to the cowpokes about the tainted watering hole and to watch out for the possibility of trouble?"

Paul nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"When are the secondary riders due to come in for their downtime?"

"Anytime now," Paul answered.

"Al'right." Rosie turned to Carmen then. "Can you tell me how much supplies we have stored up for the men to take out onto the range?"

Carmen glared at Rosie, not answering at first, and then she said, "Just enough for a couple of days. Not much. _El Patron_ was going to go to town this weekend to stock up."

Rosie frowned and nodded.

"Paul, I need you to go to town and get more supplies that'll last at least two weeks. As the men come in we'll stock them up again and send them back out."

Paul nodded. "Yes, Miss Rosie."

"Ask the doc if he needs anything from town, too. After that you come back here and rest up in the bunkhouse. Then we'll take it from there," Rosie said before turning to Carmen. "I know you don't like me…."

Carmen snorted.

"…but, I'm just here to help. Right now I'm going to go help Doc Cullen with your husband and Tyler. I'd appreciate any help that you can give me in making sure that everything's al'right when Emmett comes home."

Carmen just scowled as Rosie shook her head and sighed, heading in to check what Carlisle needed help with.

)( )( )( )(

Rosie could see why Carlisle had insisted that she help instead of Carmen. The procedure made her stomach churn and she couldn't imagine how she would have gotten through it if it had been Emmett lying on the table.

When all was said and done, Carlisle really didn't know how successful the surgery had been, but he had hopes that Eleazar would live.

Tyler on the other hand had gotten worse and his breathing had grown shallower throughout the day. Unfortunately, Carlisle said there was nothing to be done.

After helping Carlisle with Eleazar and Tyler, she'd gone to look around the homestead. She saw that the goats were wandering loose and that they, along with the donkeys, horses, and other livestock that were milling about hadn't been fed.

Although she'd really never worked on a ranch or farm, her mother had kept a few goats and chickens growing up so after a brief search she found some feed in one of the storage sheds and she went about tending to the animals as best she could.

By the time Paul came back right before sundown she had managed to get things outside in some semblance of order and had started making dinner for everyone that was at the homestead. Carmen was sitting with Eleazar and Carlisle hadn't left either of his patients' sides for very long.

She made some broth for Eleazar and some more hearty stew for Carlisle, Carmen, Paul, and herself. She ate with Paul in the kitchen, Paul obviously ready to pass out from exhaustion, and then she told him to go rest in the bunkhouse, that she would take care of the supplies.

Without any help, she did just that. And, though it was a strain with some of the bigger boxes, which she had to unload the contents within a bit at a time, she got the wagon emptied and put the supplies in the storage shed, even going so far as to take inventory using a paper and pencil she'd found in Emmett's office.

When she was done she felt weary right down to her bones, but she wasn't going to sleep just yet and she made her way to the office, going over the ledgers to make sure that she understood the extent of what she was dealing with.

As she looked over it she realized how wrong Paul had been. He had definitely underestimated things.

Emmett owned _several_ thousand acres and much more than seven-hundred heads of cattle.

* * *

Translations:

"_¡No estoy hablando con tigo, puta chingada!_" = "I'm not talking to you, fucking whore!"


	75. Chapter 75

After their stop by the stream, James and Laurent had ridden throughout the rest of the day, and Bella stayed awake despite her exhaustion. It helped that every time she started to doze off James would caress her side, nuzzle her neck, or squeeze her a bit harder, pulling her closer to him. She felt that if she were asleep he would take advantage of the situation.

They had stopped at least two more times to rest the horses, eat, and take care of their human needs, but none of the stops had been for very long and by the time night had fallen she was sure she would have fallen out of the saddle if it hadn't been for James propping her up. As it was, she was so exhausted that when they did stop for the night she didn't have enough clarity of mind to take in much of their surroundings other to note that they were at a shack with a oil lamp glowing in the window.

As she stumbled on her feet, so tired that she couldn't even stand up, James wordlessly picked her up and took her inside. She was already mostly unconscious when she heard new voices fill the small room that they had entered and her mind was too far gone into sleep to recognize what they were saying, but she noted that whoever the other men were, they didn't sound happy.

)( )( )( )(

James ignored the angry and surprised voices of the rest of the gang as he took Bella to the backroom of the cabin and set her down on a small cot that was there.

Sitting on the edge of the cot he just watched her for a while as she slept.

Even with the soot covering her face and tangled hair, she was still easily the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. As this thought crossed his mind, he reached up and gingerly, almost reverently, touched the front pocket of his shirt, feeling the item inside.

Letting his hand move forward he quietly brushed her hair away from her face with callused fingers and his gaze roamed over the rest of her.

Her nightdress was filthy and torn in places as was the man's shirt that she was wearing on top of it all. He wondered again who the shirt could belong to, but figured it was her brother's. He knew she was a good girl.

Moving aside the shirt he had to stifle a groan as he saw the way that the thin cotton fabric of her gown moulded against her breast and his gaze drifted further south and he reached out and lifted the hem of her gown, already halfway up her calves to just above her knees. His eyes darted up from her shapely legs to her face to make sure she was still asleep and then he let them go back to her bare skin as he lightly skimmed his fingers across her legs.

She was so far gone into sleep that she didn't even stir as he continued to touch her, not even when his hand left her leg and moved to just barely brush against the fabric covering her breasts. When her nipples automatically responded to his touch by tightening under the thin cotton, becoming more visible to his eyes in the dim lamplight, he groaned and had to reach down with his other hand to adjust the growing erection that was straining against the confines of his pants.

He wanted nothing more than to tear the shirt and gown off of her and have her right then and there. He didn't even care that the other men in the next room would hear them. He was also not stopped by the fact that she might resist since he was sure that he could coax a positive response from her. What stopped him was that the men in the next room would think that it would open up the opportunity for them to have a go at her, and he wasn't going to stand for that.

He could still hear them arguing in the next room, but he ignored their bickering for now and just decided to enjoy his first time alone with her…well, his first time alone with her outside of the confines of his mind. The real thing was so much better than any fantasy.

He moved his hand back to her bare leg and reaching down with his other hand he undid his belt and trousers, pulling out his stiff erection. His thumb caressed the skin just inside her knee and he watched her as he started to move his hand up and down his length, biting his lower lip to stifle the groans of pleasure as he imagined how it would be when he was finally inside of her.

Whenever he had been with Victoria, the only whore he really frequented when not having a release became too much, he had always thought of Bella. He knew that Victoria liked to pretend that he was being good and gentle towards her, but in his mind he was holding the brunette beauty that was in front of him now. He saw her dark eyes and thick, long waves of hair rather than Victoria's cold green eyes or red curls.

When he finally stroked himself to release he sighed and cleaned his hand off with the corner of the shirt that Bella was wearing. He was glad that she hadn't woken up while he had pleasured himself, knowing that seeing that probably would have frightened an innocent lady like herself. Smiling he stood up and went out to the front room to deal with the men.

)( )( )( )(

To say that Laurent, Riley, Raoul, Diego, and Fred were unhappy with Bella's presence would have been an understatement. They, like Laurent before them, argued with James that Bella's abduction wasn't part of the plan and complicated things.

But, the men also knew that it was too late to change things now and they had to wait to talk to the boss before deciding what to do with Bella.

"_We_ aren't doing anything with Bella," James said, his cold glare slipping from one to the next, showing that he wasn't joking.

All of them knew James to be a crazy son of a bitch so they looked at him warily and didn't argue much after that, deciding that confronting James probably wasn't the best course of action.

The tension in the room was palpable as they sat around, eating supper, none of them speaking much. Fred and Diego stayed in the corner, playing with an old deck of cards and Riley just sat there, looking thoughtful. Raoul was the one that kept glancing at the bedroom door where Bella was.

After each of them set up places to sleep, Riley grumbling that it had been his turn to use the cot that Bella was now on, they all fell into a sound sleep. James really had no worries about Bella escaping since the small room that Bella was in only had a two small rectangle openings that were meant to be used in case of a shootout. In other words, there was no way she was escaping.

All of the men were exhausted Laurent and James from their long ride and the other men from the long trip to meet at the rendezvous point that they were at, so they all fell into a deep sleep pretty quickly.

It wasn't till sometimes past midnight that all of them jumped out of their bedrolls as they heard a bloodcurdling scream from the backroom where Bella was.


	76. Chapter 76

James was the first one leaping across the room when he jumped out of his bedroll and he swung open the door to the backroom where Bella was and found her curled up in a corner, clutching the shirt she was wearing over her torn nightdress. She looked petrified.

But, the scream hadn't been hers.

Curled up in a fetal position across the room from her was Raoul, moaning and whimpering in pain. Even as James furious gaze went from Bella's trembling figure to Raoul, he strode across the room and tried to haul Raoul's to his feet, but the man was curled up in pain, hands cupping his groin and face contorted in agony.

"What did you do!" bellowed James as he held up Raoul by the front of his shirt and shook him. When Raoul only groaned in response, James looked to Bella.

"What did he do!" Bella didn't answer and just continued to stare at the two men in front of her with wide brown eyes. The rest of the gang was crowded around the doorway and was also staring at the scene in front of them, wondering what the hell was going on.

"WHAT!" demanded James.

It was his tone that finally scared Bella into responding and she stammered out, "I…I woke up and…and he was on me. His…his hand was on my mouth so I couldn't…I could scream. He tore at my nightdress and…," she sobbed a bit, "then he put my hand on his…his…," she couldn't even bring herself to say it. "Said he n…needed a bit of help getting ready and I p…panicked so I grabbed what I could and yanked! I yanked hard!"

The men watching from the doorway winced at the idea.

Once, when she was about five, she had been playing with Emmett, climbing on him and she had accidently stepped between his legs right on his groin. His reaction to that incident had left a long lasting impression on her and she knew that that part of a man was very sensitive. She didn't expect to completely incapacitate Raoul though.

Raoul moaned, "_Yo creo que me rompió los huevos._"

James was obviously furious and he started to drag Raoul out of the room, the men in the doorway parting to let him through.

As he passed the, James growled, "Give her something to cover up!"

At first, the men didn't react and then Riley took of his duster, threw it at her with a glare and left the room. Laurent made a face at her and closed the door, leaving her in the dark again.

Trembling and fumbling around in the dark, she crawled across the floor and found the duster, slipping it on, grateful that it didn't smell too bad.

As she huddled in the oversized coat she jumped, stifling a scream when she heard two gunshots going off in quick succession outside. After holding her breath for a moment she made her way to the cot, curled up in a fetal position there and closing her eyes she cried, praying that Edward and Emmett would find her soon.

)( )( )( )(

At dawn, just as the sun was lighting up the sky and just starting to chase away the night's shadows, Edward and the others were already ready to go, Jacob having a pretty good understanding of the direction that they were headed in.

Again, they rode in silence, going at a steady trot, not pushing too hard since Jacob still had to look for signs as to where they were going.

Edward and Emmett were both sick with worry and they were both the reason that the group continued to move forward, despite the fatigue that they all were exhibiting. It wasn't till mid-day that they finally saw the small shack on the horizon.

Out here, it wasn't unusual to see such things in the middle of nowhere. Families settled where they could, thinking that they had the fortitude to live off the land and in the end many of them died off or gave up leaving shacks like this littering the wide open landscape of the west.

This place hadn't been abandoned long though. They could see vultures circling overhead meaning that nothing living was likely to be about.

They approached with caution, guns drawn, Alice moving to the back of the group of riders at Jasper's insistence.

When they reached the front of the shack they stopped, there lying in the dirt, was Raoul's body, wide, unseeing eyes staring up at the blue sky where the vultures had been circling overhead, waiting to feast on his remains. He'd been shot in the groin and right in the center of his forehead.

They looked at the body a moment then their eyes drifted to the shack. The doors and windows were open and there didn't seem to be any movement coming from inside. Jacob and Jasper dismounted and while Jacob moved around the cabins, looking for signs as to what had happened, Jasper made his way inside.

After a minute he came out with a frown and said, "All clear."

Edward, Emmett, and Alice dismounted. Emmett, trying to be a gentleman, tried to block the view of Raoul's body with his large frame and looked to Alice. "No need for you to be looking on that, Alice."

Alice shrugged nonchalantly and simply said, "I've seen worse," and with a glance at Raoul's body she headed inside the shack with Jasper who was having a more thorough look around.

Emmett shook his head and muttered, "That woman gets stranger and stranger."

Edward ignored him and stared at Raoul. "You know who this fellow is?"

Emmett glanced at the body. "He looks familiar come to think of it."

At that moment Jasper came out and asked, "Who is he?"

"Ralph, Raoul…something with an R. He works for Mallory sometimes," Edward said with a frown.

"Fuck you say," Emmett said, anger growing in his eyes. "You're saying Mallory is behind this."

Edward shook his head and sighed tiredly, "Can't say for certain. He's not employed over at the Bar None year round. He's one of those cowpokes that comes and goes." He turned his piercing green eyes to Jasper and asked quietly, "Was she here?"

Jasper hesitated and nodded. "Seems like it." He held out a piece of cloth from Bella's torn nightdress and held it out to Edward, adding quietly, "Alice said she remembers the lace being from the nightdress that Bella was wearing."

Edward reached out with slightly trembling fingers and took the piece of cloth, his heart clenching painfully. If her nightdress had been torn and this man had been shot the groin…

…What had they done to her?

He visibly swallowed back tears and nodding he turned his back to the group and walked a few paces away, trying to get his emotions in check.

Emmett looked ready to explode and he started to kick at the corpse at his feet. "God damn mother fucker piece of shit!"

Jasper and Alice just looked on quietly and it wasn't till Emmett had stopped his abuse of the corpse that Jacob spoke up, "We are only several hours behind the group that was here, but we have a problem."

Emmett was standing there, breathing heavily and looking like he wanted to tear someone apart with his bare hands, but it was Edward that spoke, finally turning around and looking surprisingly calm. "Problem?"

"There were six horses, five with riders. I'm guessing the riderless mount belonged to his dead man. Two headed east, that way, three horses, one riderless headed south that way." He pointed in opposite directions.

"So you're saying that she could have gone in either direction?" asked Alice.

Jacob nodded.

"What's your best guess as to what direction they headed?" asked Jasper.

Jacob sighed. "I believe that the group with Bella headed south."

"What makes you think so?" asked Emmett, still seething.

"The tracks show that one of the horses that's heading south was riding heavy. My guess is with two riders. They also took the spare horse, probably in case the mount carrying double tired out," Jacob said.

Edward nodded and said, "We go south then and pray that you're right." With that he stuck the torn piece of Bella's gown in his pocket and headed back towards Eclipse, ready to ride out again.

* * *

Translations:

"_Yo creo que me rompió los huevos._" = "I think she tore my balls off."


	77. Chapter 77

Rosie woke up as she heard a knock on the door and for a moment her sleep hazed mind wondered at the aches she felt all over her body that were much different from the usual aches and pains she experienced as a prostitute at the brothel. As her eyes fluttered open she shifted a bit and realized that the aches were a result of sleeping in Emmett's office chair. And, while the chair was large and comfortable, it wasn't exactly the best thing to spend a whole night in, but she had been up late going over the details in the ledgers as well as studying some of the maps that Emmett had lying about showing the layout of the ranch.

She'd developed a tentative plan about what to do with the cattle and already had started to note some things that they were going to have to prepare if the usual cattle run to take a large herd east was going to happen in the next two months like it was supposed to.

Her mind was already thinking on all the work that had to be done when there was another knock on the door and she heard Paul's voice, "Miss Rosie?"

Yawning for a moment she finally managed to call out, "Come in!"

Paul peeked his head in. "I'm not disturbing you, am I, ma'am?"

Rosie shook her head and gave him a tired smile. "Not at all. What's going on?"

Paul came in. "Two riders, Sam and Quill came in this morning. They were with two separate herds. I kinda explained to them what was going on, but thought you might want to talk to them?"

Rosie considered this a moment and then she nodded her head. "All right. Just let me go get dressed and freshen up a bit. Where they at?"

"Carmen's making them breakfast in the kitchen."

"Take it Eleazar is feeling better then?" Rosie asked, hoping this was the case.

"Yes, ma'am. He seems to be doing a lot better," Paul said with a bit of a smile.

"And Tyler?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"He's doing worse," Paul said with a say.

She nodded. "Thanks, Paul. I'll be out to the kitchen in a bit."

She got up and stretched out her sore muscles and then went in search of her sack of cloths. It was just where she'd left it and going upstairs she went into one of the bedrooms. It took her a moment to realize it was probably Emmett's and though she had an urge to sneak around, she got cleaned up a bit, changed and made her way downstairs.

Paul, Sam, and Quill were busy finishing up their hearty breakfastes while Carmen was cleaning up a bit.

"Morning," Rosie said.

The men stood up as she came into the room and she almost blushed. Though she did turn a bit red in anger when Carmen said, "No need to stand, that's not a lady."

Ignoring the taunt, Rosie asked, "That grub sure does look good. Is there any left?"

Quill nodded and looked towards the stove, but at that moment Carmen picked up the frying pan that was there and dumped the contents into a nearby rubbish bin before she turned and left the room with a pointed look at Rose.

The three men looked startled and it was finally Sam that spoke up. "You can have what's left of my breakfast, ma'am."

Rosie shook her head and smiled a bit. "No, that's all right. I ain't all that hungry, but thanks for offering." With that she moved to sit at the table.

"I just wanted to see if y'all are ready to go back out on the range? Seems that someone's been tampering with at least one waterhole which only leaves three big ones and a couple of other small ones accessible if they haven't been messed with already, course I think we would have gotten word already if they had."

The men nodded, agreeing that they were ready to go back out, though she shook her head. "No, I think Paul should stay. We need a man around here. Sam and Quill, can you tell me what herds you were with and how many heads of cattle were with each?"

They sat there talking for a while, Rosie getting an idea of what was going out on the rest of the ranch. In the end it was decided that both Sam and Quill would go check on Jared, help him finish cleaning up after the dead herd before they went back out to provide support with some of the bigger herds. Paul would stay and help out at the homestead.

As the Sam and Quill got up and went to get ready to leave, Rosie turned to Paul. "Did anyone in town ask about the smoke when you went to get supplies?"

Paul shook his head. "No, Miss Rosie. I don't think that anyone noticed."

She nodded. "And, no one knows about the poisoned waterhole or the dead cattle."

He shook his head again.

"Good. Let's keep it that way."

He nodded in response.

"I don't know if Doc Cullen's heading back home or not today, he might probably wanting to check on Mrs. Cullen, but if he doesn't I might need you to get word to Angela and Ben Cheney. She'll have to watch the schoolhouse for Alice for who knows how long and he'll have to cover for Jasper. If they ask why…hmm…tell them they went to visit Alice's momma in a nearby town. That she got sick." From what she could tell, no one really knew anything about Alice's background which would serve them well in this case.

Paul nodded.

"I don't know if there's anything I'm missing, but I'm thankful for your help and support, Paul. I know that this can't be easy for you, doing things I'm asking of you," she said with a small smile.

Paul looked at her a moment and finally said, "My momma was a whore."

Rosie blinked.

"It ain't your fault and it don't mean you ain't got a brain. You're doing a damn good job so far if you ask me," he said with another shrug.

She squeezed his hand gratefully. "Thank you."

She was just about to ask something else when they both heard crying coming from the next room and both rushed up to see what was wrong. Carlisle was standing with his arms around Carmen, who was crying into her hands.

"Is it Eleazar?" Rosie asked, worry evident in her voice.

Carlisle shook his head and with a sad tone he said, "No, it's Tyler. He's passed on."


	78. Chapter 78

Bella had not slept at all after the incident with Raoul, she was horrified by what had happened and even more scared when she'd heard the gunshots. By the next morning when James pulled her into the saddle in front of him again, she was once again exhausted, barely able to stay awake.

She was barely conscious enough to realize that the gang was splitting up and she was once again left alone with Laurent and James. And, while they had a spare horse now, James obviously wasn't going to let her ride her own mount. So, she had to put up with his touches and caresses again even as she began to doze in the saddle after a couple of hours.

She swore at the point when she started to drift off that she heard James' voice in her ear whispering, "Don't worry. I'll take care of you."

Again, they stopped once or twice along the way to eat and switch mounts so the horse carrying two riders wouldn't get too tuckered out.

By late evening they had reached a small outcrop of buildings that couldn't really be called a town, but there was more than one establishment. Laurent and James led their horses to the largest building, which in itself was no more than a two story shack. Once dismounted James dragged a bedraggled, tired Bella inside.

She stumbled through the swinging doors and had to blink several times to let her eyes adjust to the dim light inside the room. A middle aged man with a round belly and a balding head of hair came up, not looking too pleased to see them.

"Jenks, we're going to need your room upstairs for a spell," said James.

The man looked to Bella, taking in the sight of her. With as disheveled as she looked, hair tangled, dirty, her face still covered in soot that had tear stains tracked through it, and the coat that was way too big hanging over her small frame, well, she looked like a young girl rather than the young woman she was.

Looking at James with trepidation Jenks frowned. "Now, James, I don't want any trouble."

James shrugged, "Won't be any trouble. We won't be staying long."

Jenks shook his head and said, "This," he gestured towards Bella, "looks like trouble to me."

"Ain't none of your business far as I can tell, Jenks. Boss pays you a mighty fine amount for you to just look the other way. Don't see how this is any different," said James with a sneer. Without another word he dragged Bella towards the stairs.

Bella looked over her shoulder at Jenks, a pleading, frightened look in her eyes as the man looked at them go up the stairs with a frown.

)( )( )( )(

As they got upstairs James led Bella to the only door up there and practically tossed her into what turned out to be a bedroom.

She stumbled a bit as she was launched into the room and she grabbed the bedpost to keep from completely toppling over and she looked at James with wide frightened eyes, wondering what he was going to do. At this point she was so exhausted that her body was trembling with the sheer effort of staying awake, but adrenaline was slowly seeping into her system as fear grew in her at the realization that she and James were alone.

James arched a brow at her as she looked at him with her wide chocolate eyes. Her doe-like gaze reminded him of a doe that had just been cornered by a hunter and the thought actually turned him on a bit, but again, he realized that now was not the time.

Soon enough though. Perhaps even tomorrow if things played out right.

Didn't mean that he couldn't have a bit of fun tonight though and with that he tossed his cowboy hat onto a nearby dresser and then sat in a chair and started to remove his boots. Even though she was frightened out of her wits, Bella never took her eyes off of him as he started to undress, but she felt her heart hammering faster and louder in her chest and she was barely conscious of the fact that she was taking small steps away from him, putting as much distance between them as she could in the small room.

When he stood up, untucked his shirt, and started to unbutton it she moved even further away, putting the full distance of the four poster bed between them as she moved to press herself into the corner of the room furthest away from James.

Unlike the times she had all but stared at Edward when he took his shirt off, she couldn't bare to look at the man undressing in front of her and she was wondering again if she had the strength to make a run for it.

Right when James reached for the buckle to his belt, there was a loud knock on the door and James called out with irritation, "What you want?"

Jenks' voice was muffled as he spoke through the closed door. "I brought some things for the girl…so she could clean up."

James answered the door and leaned against it with a grin. "Well, that's mighty nice of you, Jenks. Just set it on down."

Jenks came in and set a chipped pitcher of water and equally chipped wash basin on the dresser and put a bar of soap down next to it. He also went over to the bed and put down an old, faded dress and some petticoats along with a towel down on the mattress. As he did so his gaze drifted to Bella who was looking at him with a pleading look and he sighed and shook his head apologetically and turned to go.

James watched the whole interaction thoughtfully and said to Jenks as the older man turned to leave the room, "Mighty kind of you, Jenks. I'll be down in a bit to bend your ear about some things if you don't mind."

Jenks look clearly said that he knew he didn't have much of a choice the matter and he nodded and made his way out of the room and back downstairs.

When they were alone again, James, now in nothing but his pants, made his way over to Bella who tried to retreat even further into the corner. As he got close he reached out, wrapped his fingers around her wrist, and pulled her to him with a hard yank.

She tried to push against him as his arms went around her, but they were like a vice that she couldn't get away from. He seemed to like the fact that she was struggling. When she looked up at him he had a smirk on his lips and he whispered, "No use fighting destiny, darlin'."

Then without a word he leaned down and his lips were on hers. She tried to keep her lips tightly together and struggled in his arms even as his tongue tried to coax her mouth open, making her feel as if she were going to be sick, the feeling only intensifying when his hands wandered down and grabbed her rear, pulling her flush against him so that she felt how aroused he was.

Finally she had the sense of mind to part her lips as his mouth and tongue continued to assault her, but just as he thought he had triumphed she bit him and he yelped, drawing back with a growl.

Leaving one arm around her he moved the other hand from her backside and reached up to touch his now bleeding lip. Looking at the blood on his fingertips he actually smirked and said, "Feisty little thing, ain't you? Mmm….good." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and pinched her rear. "I like my women to have fire in bed." She nearly threw up at the taste of his blood on her lips as well as his words.

He didn't say anything then and just let her go as he went over to the chair and started to get dressed again. "I'll give you some privacy to freshen up."

He didn't say anything as he finished dressing and turned to leave the room, though he did pause as he opened the door. "Don't even think of trying to sneak out. I'll be right downstairs and if you try to climb out that window you'll just end up breaking your neck."

With that he was gone and Bella broke into angry sobs.


	79. Chapter 79

Rosie had sent Paul to town to get some pinewood to build Tyler's coffin. Carlisle had gone with him, promising to be back to check on Eleazar first thing the following morning. The poor man was worried about his patient, but he was also concerned about his wife and was anxious to see how she was doing.

Rosie had asked Paul's advice about whether the preacher should be summoned to conduct a service for Tyler, but Paul had shook his head, saying Tyler probably would have preferred just having someone say a few words over his grave site. She was also told that Tyler didn't have any family as far as anyone knew and that his life on the homestead had meant everything to him.

This saddened Rosie. There was really no one to mourn that he was gone. She was sure that Emmett was going to be upset, after all, he cared for all his workers and she was sure that Carmen was upset as well, but she was too busy dealing with her injured husband to have spared more than a few crying moments in Carlisle's arms. Tyler was gone and there was no one that would care for much longer than the span of a few weeks, if even that.

She wondered if that was what her life would be like without Emmett. She knew if something were to happen to her, he would be devastated, but then, he would be the only one.

These were the thoughts that were going through her mind as she quietly moved about the kitchen, putting together something simple for dinner. She was in the midst of mixing up the dry ingredients she would need to make a loaf of bread when Carmen came into the kitchen.

The older woman stopped short at the door and fury flashed in her green eyes as she took in the sight of Rosie standing at her kitchen table using her things.

"_!¿Que 'stas haciendo?_"

Rosie was startled out of her thoughts by the woman's angry tone and she frowned, shrugged and looked back at the ingredients in the mixing bowl. "Making bread," was all she said.

"This is _my_ kitchen!" Carmen screeched and moving forward she tried to grab the mixing bowl that Rosie was using right out from under her.

Of course Rosie wasn't about to let it go without a fight and she grasped the edge of the bowl and tugged in the opposite direction, not saying a word and just glaring at Carmen. Carmen got an evil glint in her eyes and just let go so that the bowl went flying towards Rosie, the contents spilling all along the front of the only decent dress that she had.

"Look what you did!" exclaimed Rosie, setting down the bowl and looking at the white powder coating her from chest to hem.

"I'm sure you're used to being covered in much worse," said Carmen with a huff and she turned to go.

Rosie had had enough and picking up an egg from a nearby bowl she threw it at Carmen's back where it splattered against her shoulder.

Carmen shrieked and turned, glaring at Rosie and without a word she strode forward, tilted her head to look up at the beautiful blonde and reaching out she got an egg, cracking it right on top of Rosie's head.

"My hair!" exclaimed Rosie.

That was when things turned from a minor skirmish to an all out war!

Rosie grabbed the sack of flour and swung it at Carmen sending her stumbling, the contents not only coating the older woman, but most of the kitchen as well. Then the both started reaching for everything within reach, and pretty soon eggs, leftover scraps, flour, baking soda, pots, pans, you name it, were being flung around the kitchen.

Both women were screaming, "_¡Huerca chingada!_" "Stupid old bat!"

"_Te ama_ and you break his heart over and over!"

"It's because I love him that I don't accept him!"

At this point they found themselves standing on opposite ends of the kitchen table and Carmen glared.

"You don't deserve his love," Carmen whispered with a glare.

"You're right. I don't," Rosie replied, her own voice quivering. "I ain't nothing more than a whore and he deserves better than that."

"_¡No!_ You don't deserve his love because you are capable of throwing it away so easy!" Carmen said in response, actually looking quite dignified despite the fact that she was covered in flour, egg, and other goo from the kitchen.

Rosie swallowed back tears and nodded. Just as she was about to say something there was a call from outside.

"Who all is in there?"

Carmen looked confused, not knowing the voice, but Rosie's eyes widened. She would know that voice anywhere.

It was Mr. Mallory.

)( )( )( )(

Sometime after he had taken the girl with James some clothes and water to wash up, Jenks had sat by, watching as James and Laurent got drunk. He could only frown and watch as they dried up his liquor supply, but said nothing since he knew that their boss, Mallory, would pay him well for keeping his group of delinquents happy.

And, he usually didn't care what they did. He hadn't even said anything when James had brought that red headed whore along with him on one of his trips, but this time, well, things were different.

He had felt sorry for the girl as soon as James had dragged her in. She looked so young, innocent, and frightened. He was hoping that James got drunk enough that he wouldn't rape the girl. He could tell from the frightened, pleading way that she'd looked at him that that hadn't happened yet and he was pretty sure that his taking the clothes and water up had interrupted something.

As James and Laurent continued to drink themselves into oblivion, he tried to convince himself that what was going on was none of his business, but the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

Jenks was never the type that liked to travel, not by train, carriage, or horse, so he didn't have much at his disposal other than the donkey he used to cart supplies around. But, once James and Laurent were snoring with their heads on the table he left, going to get the old mule. It wasn't long before he found himself on the back of the animal and he was awkwardly riding in the direction that James and Laurent had come from.

Someone had to be looking for that poor girl…at least he hoped they were.

* * *

Translations:

"_!¿Que 'stas haciendo?_" = "What are you doing!"

"_¡Huerca chingada!_" = "Fucking girl!"

_"Te ama..."_ = "He loves you..."


	80. Chapter 80

They had ridden as far as they could after sunset before Jacob insisted that he was losing the trail and they had gotten up long before the night's shadows had disappeared, but everyone was on edge, wanting to get to Bella, especially Edward.

He was wild eyed and crazy, having barely slept any for the past three nights, but every time that he shut his eyes and started to let the exhaustion overtake him, he had dreary images of what could be happening to Bella on her second night with those sons of bitches.

As they rode and the sun started to rise in the east, they stayed silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

Emmett was also going crazy at the idea of what his sister might be going through, but he refused to dwell too much on the subject, afraid that he would really lose his mind. As it was he was already worried about what was going on at the homestead. Had Rosie come? Were Eleazar and Tyler all right? What would happen to Carmen if she lost her husband? He knew here to be a feisty old broad, but he knew that she loved her husband so much that losing him would kill her.

Jasper's concerns also centered around Bella and the happenings of the ranch. The lawlessness that seemed prevalent at the Big E bothered him and he knew that even if they rescued Bella—which might be no easy feat—he was still going to have to try and find out what was behind everything that was going on or there would never be any peace for his friends or Spoons Valley.

Alice was also concerned for Bella. She knew that her friend was a strong woman, more than anyone gave her credit for, but that didn't mean that she was going to be unaffected by these events. She just hoped that if her friend had been assaulted that she could heal enough to continue on with her life. She knew that Bella belonged with Edward. She'd known that even before they had realized it.

Alice was pondering on Bella and Edward's relationship and how this whole situation might affect them when her keen eyesight noticed something up ahead that even Jacob hadn't noticed yet.

Squinting her eyes a bit, she frowned and broke the silence as she said, "Someone's coming." All the men pulled on the reins of their mounts, slowing the horses up a bit as they reached for their six-shooters.

"Get to the back of the group, Alice," said Jasper with a scowl as she moved her mount forward even more.

"Shut up, Jasper," she replied and continued to look ahead, trying to figure out if she recognized anything about the person that was approaching.

Jasper was staring daggers into her back and Emmett muttered, "I'm glad you're going to be the one that ends up marrying her," which got Jasper's murderous gaze to turn in his direction.

Alice tilted her head and shook it. "It's a…robust man…a small robust man riding a donkey!"

This caused the men to turn their attention to the distant figure riding towards them and keeping their guns out they moved forward. This time Alice did move to the back of the pack though as she blew a kiss in Jasper's direction.

As they got closer they saw exactly what Alice had been talking about. The vision before them might have actually been humorous if not for the situation they were in.

The man riding the donkey had obviously not been prepared for his journey. The donkey he was riding didn't even have a blanket on his back and the round little man was sliding all over its back as he grasped the mule's reigns. He looked like a sack of potatoes and was huffing and puffing as he rode towards them.

It was Emmett that finally spoke as they drew nearer, "Hello there, mister. Um, you look a bit…lost?" Lost wasn't exactly the right word, what the man really looked was out of place.

The chubby man grunted. "I ain't lost."

Emmett nodded and looked to Edward and Jasper.

"What are you doing out here?" asked Jasper.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Jenks with a scowl, looking at each member of the group suspiciously.

"We're looking for a girl that was taken by some bandits day before last," said Edward, eyeing the man. "Young, slender, long brown hair, big brown eyes…"

Jenks threw up his hands and hollered, "Thank the heavens!"

His letting go of the reins caused the donkey to shift a bit and Jenks went sliding right off the animal's back, landing with an "oof!" as his rather well cushioned behind hit the ground.

)( )( )( )(

Carmen made her way outside and looked at Mr. Mallory with a frown, actually looking rather dignified despite the fact that she was caked from head to toe in mostly flour.

Mr. Mallory looked her up and down and then snickered a bit. "You know, covering yourself up in flour like that doesn't hide the fact that you're Mexican."

Carmen visibly stiffened and her green eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you want?"

Mr. Mallory shrugged. "I heard y'all were having some trouble here at the Big E…cattle rustling, sick herds, barns burning down…just thought I could talk to Mr. Swan for a bit about how things were going."

Rosie didn't trust Mallory as far as she could throw him, so while Carmen made her way outside, she went to Emmett's office and got a rifle that she had found there the previous evening. When she came out and heard what he was telling Carmen, she had come out with the rifle already raised and pointed in Mallory's direction as the screen door slammed behind her. Despite the fact that she was covered in flour, eggs, and other stuff from the kitchen, she looked like fury embodied in the form of a beautiful woman as she pointed the rifle at him.

"You need to leave, Mallory," Rosie said, her voice soft and menacing as she looked at him down the barrel of the rifle.

Both, Carmen and Mallory looked stunned, but Carmen recovered first and drew up a little straighter, staring down her nose at Mallory as she went to stand by Rosie.

"Now, Rosie, there's no need for that kind of beh…"

Mallory didn't get to finish what he was saying as she interrupted him, "You ain't got no business here."

Mallory frowned, "As I was telling this woman…"

"I heard what you were saying," said Rosie, not lowering the rifle. "And, I find it kind of funny that you're here about matters that no one outside of the Big E are aware of yet."

Mallory opened his mouth, caught short. He obviously wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"I said git!"

Mallory turned red and took a step towards her, his voice low and angry. "You ain't got no right to tell me what to do, you fucking whore!"

Carmen bristled then. "_¡Marano cochino chingado…!_"

"It's all right, Carmen," said Rosie, stopping the older woman from saying anymore.

"I got every right. I'm Emmett's wife."

Carmen blinked a bit but then she nodded and gave Mallory a superior look.

Mallory looked as if he were about to blow a gasket and he suddenly started cursing up a storm. "Fucking son-of-a-bitch! He ruins everything! That piece of shit has ruined everything since he set foot in this goddamn town. Fucking bullet should have killed him and if I hadn't missed…"

As if realizing what he said he paused and looked at the women on the porch with wide eyes. He'd been out hunting when he'd spotted Swan riding towards town and he'd taken the shot. At first he'd thought he'd finally killed the bastard and it was only later that he realized that he'd only grazed the man's arm. He hadn't told anyone that that'd been him, not even James and his gang.

"What did you say?" Rosie asked in a deadly voice, her blue eyes fierce with fury.

"What…what I meant to say is…," he stammered out.

Before he could say another word though Rosie cocked the rifle and fired.

* * *

Translation:

"_¡Marano cochino chingado…!_" = "Fucked up nasty pig!"


	81. Chapter 81

Bella had cleaned up and dressed in the clothes that Jenks had brought up to the room she was in, after that, she looked around, trying to find a means of escape, but James had been right, there wasn't one. There was one small window in the room and she couldn't see a way of using it to get out without breaking her neck. She had cracked the door open and listened, thinking that she might be able to sneak out, only to hear James and Laurent being loud and boisterous downstairs.

After that she had huddled in the corner, refusing to use the bed…just in case James came in and got any ideas. She fell asleep there, curled up against the wall, but she woke up sometime in the middle of the night, startled awake by some noises down on the first floor.

At first she had been confused by where she was and what was going on, but her mind quickly snapped to it and she realized there were angry voices coming from downstairs.

Making her way to the door she was just about to open it a crack when she was thrown back as the door swung open, revealing a drunk, staggering James. He looked down at her and swayed a bit on his feet as he slurred, "Whatcha doin' down theres?"

As he leaned over to yank her to her feet he almost fell over on top of her, but somehow he managed to stay on his feet. He pulled her to her own feet and slammed the door behind him, effectively muffling Laurent's voice along with the voices she recognized as belong to the other men in James' gang that had been at the shack with them the previous evening.

She started to struggled, trying to get out of James' grasp, but the more she did the tighter his fingers seemed to dig into her arms as he pulled her over to the bed. As she realized where he was taking her she tried anything she could to stop him and she kicked at him and bit his hand. This earned her a hard slap which sent her sprawling across the bed, her head swimming in pain from the hit.

"See what you made me do?" he said as he swayed next to the bed.

He seemed to get a glazed look over his eyes as he looked at her lying there on the bed in front of him as she tried to regain her wits after the hit. It took her a moment to realize that he had reached down to unbuckle his belt and she tried to scramble away from him, but he let go of his belt and grabbing her ankle he pulled her back. As she kicked out at him with her free leg he hit her again, this time with a closed fist that left her floating at the edge of unconsciousness.

She tried to fight the blackness that was threatening to overtake her as she felt James moving above her and she feebly pushed at him as he lay down on her and one of his hands continued to fumble with his belt while the other snaked his way under her skirt and petticoat. She whimpered and he groaned as his hand made contact with the skin of her thigh. She was pretty sure that she was going to throw up even as she continued to fight the feeling that she was sinking into oblivion, her head still swimming from the punch he'd given her.

When she finally managed to push his hand away she realized that he had passed out drunk on top of her and she gave a soft, silent prayer of thanks. Even as she slipped into unconsciousness her last thought was of Edward.

)( )( )( )(

The sound of the gunshot filled the air around the homestead as Rosie fired and then there was a deadly silence that followed for a few seconds before it was cut off by loud screaming, that ironically enough sounded like a squealing pig.

Mallory was on the ground, rolling around clutching at the wound on his upper arm where the bullet Rosie had fired off had grazed him. If it weren't for the tension surrounding the whole situation it might have been comical to see how he was rolling around there like an engorged tick.

Rosie lowered the rifle and stared down at his squealing figure coldly.

Carmen pouted, looking disappointed. "You didn't kill him."

The corner of Rosie's mouth actually twitched a bit and she shrugged. "Bible says eye for an eye and all that. Fortunately for him he only grazed Emmett instead of killing him."

Carmen continued to pout, but nodded, seeming to understand Rosie's reasoning. Making her way down the stairs the older woman went to stand by Mallory's groaning figure and when he reached out and grasped the hem of her skirt , looked up at her with pleading eyes, and said, "Hel…help me," she kicked him hard right in the stomach, causing him to curl up and groan.

"_¡Chinga tu madre, pinche marrano puto!_" She looked to Rosie then. "What are we going to do with him?"

Rosie shrugged. "Keep him here till the sheriff gets back I guess. No need to let the deputies know. If he's in town he'll get word to whoever he's working with and that might not bode well for us."

Carmen nodded and kicked him again. "I'll get some rope." She looked up at Rosie. "And, I'll get you something clean to wear."

Rosie smiled slightly. "Thank you, ma'am."

"You can call me Carmen, _Patrona_."

Rosie actually blushed a bit under the flour that was coating her face.

)( )( )( )(

"Why can't we just go in and get her now?" Emmett asked with a hiss.

"Because it ain't logical, Emmett," Alice huffed. "Didn't you hear Jenks here? Seems the rest of the gang has arrived judging by the number of horses and if we just go storming in she's likely to get hurt in any gunfire that's exchanged!"

Emmett scowled in response.

"Alice is right," Jasper added.

Alice grinned brightly at this admission and kissed Jasper on the cheek, which made him blush.

Edward frowned. "She is right, we need a plan."

Emmett looked like he was going to throw a tantrum and it was only the sharp look that Edward gave him that kept him from doing so.

Alice looked at Jacob critically. "How good of a shot are you, Jacob?"

"Good enough," responded Jacob.

"He's being modest," said Edward.

Jasper nodded in agreement. "He's almost as good as you, darlin'."

Alice nodded and looked at the group critically. "I think I know how we can do this."

* * *

Translations:

"_¡Chinga tu madre, pinche marrano puto!_" = "Fuck your mother, asshole whore pig!" (literal translation, but you get the idea)

_Patrona = _Literally translates to the feminine form of "Boss". Think of it as Lady Boss...kinda


	82. Chapter 82

Bella woke up with her head feeling as if it was going to burst. The whole left side of her head hurt and she couldn't open her left eye. She also felt something constricting her breathing and as she moved a bit she realized it was because someone was half lying on her. Suppressing the sense of panic she felt rising up in her chest she peered over at who it was and felt sick seeing it was James.

Her small movements didn't seem to bother him so she bravely attempted to get out from under him, but as she moved he seemed to sense it and his arm tightened around her, keeping her close.

He wasn't going to let her go, not even in his unconscious state.

With her good eye she peered up at the ceiling and she raised her hand to gingerly touch the side of her face where he'd hit her. She winced at even the light touched, the flesh swollen and sensitive. She was pretty sure that she had a black eye and knew she probably looked a sight.

She pondered trying to crawl out from under James again when she heard footfalls on the stairs outside the room. It was only a moment before someone was banging on the door, calling out, "James! JAMES! Get your lazy ass up! We have some discussing to do."

James stirred against her and then he finally raised his head as the banging continued. "Shut the fuck up, Riley!"

"Get your ass out here!" Riley replied and then his footsteps could be heard as he made his way back downstairs.

James rolled over away from Bella and she took the opportunity to tumble out of the bed as quickly as she could.

James only chuckled at her reaction and glanced at her, but taking in her appearance he frowned. "What happened to your face?"

In response she only stood across the room from him and glared with her good eye, the other being swollen shut.

"I do that?" James asked as he sat up, still staring at her.

When she just continued to glare he shrugged. "Sorry about that, darling. I get a bit 'ornery when I'm three sheets to the wind. Best just do whatever I ask you to do next time."

He yawned and scratched at his head a bit before he got up and adjusted his clothes, buckling his belt right back up. Going over to the chipped washbasin Jenks had brought up the night before he used the little bit of water that was left to splash his face and then he looked at her. "I'll ask Jenks to bring you something to eat, but you best be prepared to go soon."

With that he left the room.

Bella just stood there a moment, looking at the closed door, then she went over to the cracked looking glass that was on the wall above the small table in the room and she wanted to cry at what she saw. The whole left side of her face was swollen and there was a bit of dried blood at the corner of her lip.

She looked awful.

She wouldn't cry though. She wasn't in the least bit sorry that she had fought back when James had tried to touch her. She'd rather he kill her than rape her.

Sighing a bit she used her fingers to take the biggest tangles out of her hair and then she rebraided it before she went to the door and opened it, trying to listen to what was going on downstairs.

She could hear arguing, but it took her a while to make out what all the shouting voices were saying.

"You've totally gone and ruined the plan!"

"Fuck the plan! I have my own plans!" James replied.

"We ain't going to get paid if we don't do what we're supposed to be doing," said another voice.

"This ain't just about the money!" said James.

"I was about the money for me goddamnit!" said the first voice.

A voice she recognized as belonging to Laurent chimed in at this point. "Now, gentleman, I'm sure that the boss won't mind if James takes the young lady as his form of payment. Leaves more for us anyway. We don't need James for this last part of the plan…"

He was interrupted at this point. "We can't go through with the last part of the plan, Laurent! By now the boss has gone to the ranch and seen that they ain't there! You think that gal's brother and his friends were just going to sit there twiddling their thumbs once they found out she was missing? Mallory's gone and found the place abandoned at this point…"

For a moment, Bella didn't hear anymore as the sound of her thundering heart filled her ears, drowning out the voices from below.

Mallory was behind all this. It wasn't just some random hoodlums that they were dealing with. This was much more dangerous for Emmett, Edward, and the Big E than she had imagined.

When she finally had the presence of mind to start listening again she heard one of the fellows saying, "I suppose your right. Guess this could actually speed things up a bit. We continue on to the Bar None and James goes on his own way with the gal. Might actually work. But, damnit to hell, James, just stick with the fucking plan this time."

She couldn't hear James' response and she quietly closed the door, wondering what to do with this new bit of information.

It would be much easier to escape if she was on her own with James, but she also had a feeling that with no one else around he wouldn't hold back from doing things to her.

Shuddering a bit, she moved away from the door as she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. A moment later James walked in, scowling. "I don't know where the fuck Jenks has gone off to, but it looks like you'll be eating hardtack like the rest of us. Let's get going."

Before she could reply he grabbed her by the wrist and started to drag her out of the room.

She almost fell down the stairs a couple of times as he pulled her down the stairs behind him and it was only her free hand reaching for the wall to steady her that kept her from tumbling down on top of him.

When they reached the open area downstairs, the men were getting ready to leave.

"Where's my coat?" asked Riley as his gaze drifted to Bella.

"Upstairs. Go get it yourself," replied James.

Riley cursed under his breath and headed upstairs as the rest of the men made their way outside.

All of them blinked as their eyes adjusted to going from the dim interior of the room to the bright mid-morning sun.

Just as James started to drag Bella over to the horses a gunshot suddenly rang out and one of the guys, Fred, went down in a cloud of dust as he hit the ground nearby.


	83. Chapter 83

There wasn't even a moment for Bella to process what was going on as Fred went down before James was yanking her back in the direction of the building that they'd just exited. But, even as he pulled her back towards the door, gunshots were flying in front of them, preventing him from going that way and he yanked her to the side of the building which was closer.

As he crouched down against the side wall, he pulled her down with him, and kept one hand firmly on her as the other reached for his six-shooter.

She didn't know who the shooters were, but when she heard James mutter, "Stupid sons-of-bitches probably caught up with us and think that they can take you back," she felt hope rise up in her heart and she started to struggle with him, trying to pull the gun out of his grip.

The gunshots were ringing out everywhere now, but she barely heard them as she rolled around the ground with James. She was screaming and kicking at him even as he struggled with her, the gun not leaving his tight grip.

He finally managed to straddle her, pulling the gun out of her grip and he used his other hand to punch her on the side of her head, causing her to stop struggling as blackness threatened to overwhelm her once again.

He was up then, yanking her to her feet though she could barely stand and he had her in front of him, his arm around her waist as he used her body as a shield and he hissed in her ear, "It doesn't have to be like this. I don't want to hurt you."

The words seemed rather ironic to her considering that she was in a world of hurt from being beaten by him the night before and being hit again just moments ago.

One of her ears was ringing, but she could still tell that the gunfire had stopped. Once he drug her out to the front of the building, still keeping her in front of him even as he held the gun to the side of her head, she could see that now Fred, Diego, and Laurent were lying dead in the street in front of the building where they'd been staying. She said a quick prayer of thanks that none of the men lying there were her people even as her eyes started to dart around, looking for them.

Her already hammering heart seemed to speed up as she saw Edward rushing up to them, Emmett and Jasper not far behind them.

The three of them had their six shooters drawn and pointed in her and James' direction. Edward and Emmett stopped a few feet away as Jasper hurriedly went up to the three fallen bandits and kicked their guns away before making sure they were dead.

She could almost seem to smell the fear radiating off of James as he continued to hold her in front of him, the muzzle of his gun pressed against her temple.

"Let her go," said Edward, he voice hard and steely as he glared coldly at James, his pistol cocked and ready.

"You ain't taking her," said James, slowly walking backwards with Bella. "I'd kill her before I let you take something else from me!"

Emmett, who also had his gun trained on James never took his eyes off his sister and the man holding her, but he asked, "What the fuck is he talking about Edward?"

Edward's hard expression didn't change and he said through clenched teeth, "I didn't take anything from you, James."

"Yes, he did!" James screamed, a bit of hysteria lacing his tone. "It was my ma that married that son of a bitch that was your grandfather. He didn't want a newborn brat around so she shipped me off, but she said it was for me. For me! She married him to get me some of that land and she ended up with nothing. NOTHING!"

Bella could feel his anger as he trembled a bit against her. He was losing it, she could sense that and she was horrified that he was going to hurt Edward, Emmett, or Jasper.

"Then you went and threw it all away! It should've been mind. MINE!" James squeezed Bella so tightly that she couldn't breathe. "Then when I saw Bella," he nuzzled Bella's neck, taking a deep breath, "when I saw her I knew she was mine. I've known it for the last three years and you had to go and ruin that too."

There was such sadness and despair in his voice that if it weren't for the situation Bella might have felt sorry for him, but as it was she was sure he was crazy. How could he have known her three years? She'd been in Spoons Valley less than a year.

Edward, Emmett, and Jasper also were looking at James as if he were crazy.

It was at this point that James fumbled around a bit, never letting go of Bella, and he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled open a small leather case that looked like a small wallet. He opened it and held it in front of Bella, showing her the picture of her at sixteen that she'd sent to Emmett. Now she knew why he had never received it.

Bella's good eye widened as she saw the picture and as James whispered in her ear, "I knew when I saw you in this picture. I knew you'd come here one day because you're meant for me. Can't you see that? Watching you all this time with him has been torture…"

"Let her go, James!" Edward was losing his patience.

James looked up at Edward and growled as he started to walk back with Bella again. "No! I won't let you have her too!"

James seemed to stiffen at that point as he heard something behind them and he froze.

Edward looked at Alice and Jacob now. They had come out of their hiding places and were standing behind James, rifles drawn.

"You're surrounded, James. You ain't got no place to go," said Jasper.

James turned to glance over his shoulder to assess the situation and Bella used the momentary distraction to pull away, running towards Edward.

What happened next all seemed to be a blur shots rang out and James was on the ground as several bullets hit him at once. His body jerked around a bit before it fell to the ground and then his body was still, the six shooter still clutched in one hand, the other still holding the picture of Bella between limp fingers.

Edward grabbed Bella, holding her close and he asked urgently, "Are you all right?"

She was trembling in his arms and could only nod, not able to find her voice.

Edward 's fingers went to her chin and he tilted her head back so she would look up at him. He frowned as he saw the bruises on her face and he kiss her gently. There were a million questions in his eyes but he pushed them aside and whispered, "Wait right here."

She nodded again and watched as he walked away towards the group now standing around James that included her brother, Jasper, Alice, and Jacob. It seemed they all wanted to make sure that James was really dead.

She felt her body sag with relief as she watched them kick the six shooter away from James' dead hand and Edward bent down and took the picture out of his other hand. Taking a deep breath she started to walk towards the group, just wanting to be close to Edward.

When she was just a few feet away from Edward she heard something and turned to look over her shoulder. That's where she saw Riley, forgotten inside the building during the whole fight, come out, his rifle pointed straight at Edward's back.

She didn't have time to cry out a warning and instead she moved, sheilding him from the path of gunfire just as the shot rang out.

Another gunshot followed in quick succession as Alice reacted by quickly taking down Riley, her reaction time faster than the others.

They all stood there a moment, shocked and then it was Emmett that whispered, "Bella?" The amount of fear that registered in that small little utterance was palpable.

She was standing there, a stunned look on her face, and then she looked down at herself and her hands went to the large stain of blood that was spreading on the front of her dress. She lifted her hands and looked at the bright red stains maring her palms and fingers before she looked up, fear in her eyes and she whispered, "Edward…?"


	84. Chapter 84

Edward felt the blood pounding through his head so hard he was sure it was going to burst. It was as if his thumping heart was beating in rhythm to the voice in his head that was screaming, "NO! NO! NO!"

He didn't even realize that his body had propelled forward and he had snatched up Bella in his arms just before her legs gave out from under her. His panicked, green eyes met her pain filled brown ones and he watched as the light in them slowly dimmed and he was screaming as he felt his soul torn asunder as her his reason for living died in his arms.

The scream seemed to take over, reverberating through every fiber of his being and it was only when he felt someone shaking him and calling out to him that he woke with a start and looked around wildly, his eyes finally meeting the white clad figure that was standing bent over him. It took a moment for the fear left over from the nightmare to fade away and he didn't say a word as he pulled Bella into his arms, burying his face against her neck as he took in the scent of her, comforted by it.

She just held him, rocking him a bit letting him chase away the bad images. After a while she spoke, whispering, "Another bad dream?"

He nodded and only took a shaky breath, his face still buried against her neck.

"I'm all right, you know?" she whispered, moving a bit so she could look at him.

He sighed and gave her a bit of a smile. "Yes, I know, but _I_ won't be if your brother catches you in here, even if we are getting married tomorrow."

She smiled. "What's he going to do? Beat on you? He wouldn't want to face Alice and Rosie's wrath if you ruined the day by getting married with a beat up face. He going to force you down the aisle faster? Impossible. Tomorrow morning I will be Mrs. Edward Masen."

He couldn't help the happy smile that spread over his lips as she said that and he kissed her gently, his hands resting on her sides as he pulled her closer. Breaking the kiss with a sigh he let his fingers gently run over the scar that he felt through the thin fabric of her gown where the bullet had passed through her side.

"Is that what you were dreaming about," she asked softly.

He nodded.

"I'm all right," she said soothingly.

"We were lucky," he said with a frown as he looked at her.

"Yes, if I hadn't gotten in the way you probably would've been killed," she replied.

"There's that," he said grudgingly, not wanting to get into an argument with her. They'd rehashed what happened countless times over the last few months, "And, there's the fact that bullet passed through you without hitting anything important. You could have died, Bella…"

She scowled at him and he had to bite his tongue, knowing that if they continued down this line of conversation that they'd end up in another argument, and he really didn't want Bella to be angry with him on their wedding day so he decided to change the subject.

"What are you doing in here anyway? Emmett really will have my hide if he catches you in here. He was already unhappy with the fact that you were sleeping right across the hall and it was only Rosie distracting him saying that she was tired that kept him from kicking me out into the bunk house."

"I wasn't going to let you sleep in the bunkhouse with all the cowpokes the night before our wedding, Edward," she chuckled and snuggled up to him as he pulled her down to lay down with him. "I heard you crying out in your sleep and I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"I didn't wake Emmett, did I?" he asked, glancing at the closed door.

She shook her head. "He's sound asleep. Rosie tends to wear him out."

He looked at her with a stunned expression and she looked confused for a moment before she blushed brightly, understanding how he could have taken that.

"I meant that he jumps to wait on her hand and foot in her condition."

He chuckled. "Well, there's that. He's going to be a good pa to that kid. Too bad he was wrong in thinking that by knocking her up he could get her down the aisle."

"Do you think they'll ever get married?" Bella asked.

Edward shrugged. "I don't think it matters to her all that much."

"Does it matter to you?" Bella asked, peering at him.

He gave her a wary look. "You trying to get out of marrying me tomorrow?"

Bella shook her head and blushed. "Well, no, but I was thinking…"

"Thinking what?" he asked curiously.

She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again and shook her head. "Never mind."

"Tell me," he said.

She shook her head.

He moved over her, pinning her to the bed. Hovering above her he looked down at her and said, "Tell me."

She licked her lips a bit, her pink tongue peeking out to moisten them and then she whispered, "Well, I was thinking that despite the fact that the wedding is tomorrow…" She let her voice trail off.

"Yes?" he said, prompting her to continue.

"Well, it doesn't mean that our wedding night has to wait till then, does it?" she asked quietly, embarrassment causing her cheeks to flush red.

It took him a moment to process what she was saying and when he did realize what she meant he felt an immediate tightening in his groin.

Bella blushed even more as she felt his erection grow against her hip and she whispered, "Is…is that a yes?"

"Bella…" He knew he should say no. What was one more night after all? They should be married first. He should tell her no, that they could just lie here and talk, or if she really wanted they could fool around a bit like they had been for the last several months of their engagement.

But, as she leaned up and she felt him nibble and lick at the spot on his neck that drove him wild, he realized that he really didn't want to.

"Yes, Edward?" she whispered against his ear, even as her hands started to wander over his bare back.

He moved his head then and looked at her a moment and then he leaned in and kissed her. Like everyone of his kisses it was something that sent fire coursing through her veins.


	85. Chapter 85

As Edward pulled Bella closer, feeling her soft curves press up against him as they kissed, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. Her recovery had been hard on him and he had never prayed as much as he had during the weeks after she'd been shot.

It was hard to believe that that had only happened several months ago. The vibrant, passionate woman that lay under him now, responding to his kisses and his touch, was much different than the Bella that had lain pale in bed, recovering from a gunshot wound.

The thoughts of her lying in her bed, injured, flew out of his mind as he felt her hand move between them so that her fingers lightly skimmed across his bare chest, pausing as they reached the flat plane of his stomach.

He hissed in pleasure as he broke the kiss and looked down at her, her chocolate eyes shining in the dim moonlight in the room as she looked up at him.

He always thought that it was impossible for her to be more beautiful, but every time he laid eyes on her she seemed lovelier than she had moments before. Lying there, her mahogany hair spilled across his pillow, her eyes shining, her lips, swollen from his kiss, slightly parted as she took in heavy breaths, she looked like the most perfectly beautiful thing that he had ever seen. She was so stunning in fact that he wasn't sure that he would ever be able to tear his eyes away. But, when she took her lower lip between her teeth and lifted her hips slightly off the mattress so that she was pressing herself against his erection, he did close his eyes with a loud groan of pleasure.

"Shhh..." she said, leaning up to whisper in his ear, "We have to keep quiet."

He barely spared a moment to think of the fact that her brother was in the next room and he buried his face against her neck, kissing the soft, warm skin there even as his hand moved down her leg. As his fingers brushed up against the hem of her long nightdress, he tugged up the fabric, letting his fingers start to skim along the silken skin of her legs. As his hand trailed up to her knee, he hitched her leg around his waist and the soft gasp that she emitted made him sigh and shiver as he pressed his hardened length against her core, the only thing between them now being his own drawers, already riding dangerously low on his hips, and some of the fabric of her thin cotton nightdress.

She wanted nothing more than to feel his bare skin, something that had been denied to her with the exception of the few times when she'd slipped her hands under his shirt when they had made out under their tree. Her hands were now wandering along his back, chest and sides, and she wanted nothing more than to feel even more of him and have him touch more of her own bare skin. She already felt her gown bunching up higher and higher so when he whispered in a hesitant voice, "Can…can I pull your nightdress off?" She didn't hesitate to nod.

As he moved away from her and pulled the gown over her head, she was glad for the darkness in the room since it hid the blush that she was certain was covering every inch of her now exposed flesh.

He let his eyes wander, taking in the sight of her and he groaned, feeling his already hard length grow even harder as he caught sight of a naked Bella for the first time.

She was perfect.

For a moment Bella wondered if his groan had been one of disappointment, but then when he leaned forward and started to let his fingers wander over her skin, just lightly, delicately, touching her as if he were handling something special, delicate, and rare, she could tell that he liked what he saw.

She let out the tiniest of groans as his fingers skimmed along her collarbone before trailing down the curve of her breast. As his fingers barely brushed against her already hardened nipple, she couldn't help but gasp and arch her back a bit as she sought more of his touch.

His worshipping her body with his worshipful gaze and reverent touches continued, each second that passed causing her to shift and squirm as she sought out more. And, when his lips and tongue joined in the revelry she was sure she was going to go up in flames. She was sure that there was nothing better than his lips on her breast until she felt his tongue against her nipple. Then as his fingers delved even lower, to lightly brush at the aching spot between her legs, she was pretty sure she was going to die.

His touch was soft and unintentionally teasing, but he didn't want to take things too fast and just wanted to savory every moment. Though as his finger dipped inside of her, just barely brushing across the moisture and warmth that was there between her thighs, he was pretty sure that he was going to have a hard time controlling himself and he was ready to pull off his drawers there and then to just take her when she pulled his hand away.

He nearly jumped back, thinking he'd done something wrong, but she had a surprisingly strong grip that kept him in place even as he mumbled, "Sorry!"

She shook her head and whispered, "It's all right…I…I just…can I…"

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I just…can I see you?"

He could see her blushing even in the darkness and he was pretty sure that he was blushing himself.

"Oh, um, of course," he managed to get out.

Moving away from her to stand next to the bed, he pulled off his drawers and stood there awkwardly as she sat up and looked him over.

When she didn't say anything and just looked at his erection curiously he moved to kneel next to her on the bed and said, "I know it's a shock and all…"

"Oh, no, it's just that, well, it's bigger than before," she said, still staring at his cock.

He froze, kneeling there next to her. "Bigger than before?"

She finally let her gaze wander up to his face momentarily as she replied, "Well, yes, bigger than the last time I saw it."

His eyes widened. "The last time you saw it?" He knew he sounded like an idiot repeating everything she said, but he couldn't seem to help it. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you remember that first day that we met, how you and Emmett got drunk that night?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I went downstairs for a glass of water and you walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but your boots and your hat. It was smaller then," she said matter-of-factly.

"WHAT!" he exclaimed a little too loudly.

What happened next happened so fast the only thing he had time to think was, _Now I've gone and done it!_

Heavy footsteps came running down the hall and Bella looked frightened out of her mind as she moved to kneel besides him. In effort to hide her, Edward pushed her behind him, but she was too close to the edge of the bed and all he saw were her legs and arms flailing as she fell over the side of the bed, landing on the floor on the opposite side of the room from where the door was. He didn't have time to ask if she was all right when the door flew open and a crazed looking, naked Emmett was standing there, holding his six shooter and looking around the room for what had caused someone to scream.

Instead, all he saw was a wide-eyed, very naked, _very _aroused Edward kneeling in the middle of the bed.

They both froze, taking in each other's nakedness, when Emmett bellowed, "Jesus Christ, Edward!"

Edward reached for the closest piece of fabric that he could get his hands on, not realizing that he was now using Bella's nightdress to cover up his quickly shrinking arousal.

"Is that one of my sister's nightdresses! Fuck!" Emmett exclaimed as he closed the door behind him, leaving a startled Rosie in the hallway.

Emmett looked Edward over, ran his empty hand over his face and shook his head tiredly.

"I ain't going to tell Bella that I saw you in here, getting yourself off with her nightclothes, but Jesus, Edward. It's one thing that I caught you in the shower, but this takes things to a whole other level. Couldn't you just….wait! I mean, you're getting married in the morning!"

Edward just clenched his jaw and didn't say anything, though he was pretty sure if he could die of embarrassment he would have died right then and there.

"You also don't have to be so loud about it! Bella's sleeping right across the hall for Pete's sake!" Emmett added.

Before anything else could be said to mortify poor Edward, there was a soft knock on the door and Rosie peeked in, looking from one naked man to another. "Well, I have to say, the sight of you two naked together in a bedroom is something I would've never imagined seeing." Emmett blushed and scowled a bit.

"C'mon, Em. I think I can appreciate your nudity more than Edward can and we wouldn't want to wake Bella. I just checked on her and she's sound asleep," Rosie added.

Emmett scowled at Edward one more time and turned to leave. When his back was turned, Rosie winked in Edward's direction. It was obvious that she knew that Bella was in there.

After saying goodnight and closing the door behind her, Bella finally peeked over the edge of the mattress, her brown eyes wide and her hair sticking up in all directions.

Edward looked at her with concern. "You all right?" he asked.

She nodded and rested crossed her arms over the edge of the mattress and rested her chin on them. There was a genuinely curious look on her face as she asked, "What'd Bear catch you doing in the shower?"

With that Edward fell back onto the mattress with a groan.

* * *

**A/N: I hope y'all are enjoying the story. There are 5 more chapters to go! Please remember to Read, Review, and Recommend!**


	86. Chapter 86

Edward stood in front of the mirror, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt again. He was fidgeting in his anxiety, but then, who could blame him, it was his wedding day.

It also wasn't as if he'd gotten much sleep the previous evening. First, there had been the nightmare. Then, there had been a very naked Bella in his bed. This had somehow led to a naked Emmett barging into his room. The sight of a naked Emmett followed by having to explain the ins and outs of male anatomy to Bella along with what he had been doing in the shower had effectively killed the amorous mood for the evening.

Bella had had lots of questions and he had been completely honest with her, knowing that being open and honest was the foundation for a good relationship, but damn, he had been embarrassed.

Moving away from the mirror he had been standing in front of, he started to pace again. Jasper, Eleazar, and Carlisle were just sitting in some chairs across the room, watching him silently.

After a while it was Jasper who finally broke the silence by turning to Eleazar and Carlisle, asking, "Was I this bad on my wedding day?"

Edward managed to stop pacing long enough to glare at Jasper before he kept going.

Eleazar just smiled. Carlisle was the one that answered Jasper, "I believe you were worse. You kept asking if Alice was still there or if she had run off and trying to get to her before the ceremony just to make sure."

Jasper just nodded sullenly which caused all the men, even Edward, to chuckle. By now, Jasper and Alice's closest friends, who had become their family, knew about her past and why she had been so reluctant to marry Jasper. They knew that Alice didn't have a malicious bone in her body and that she was genuinely a good person. When she explained what she'd done and why she'd done it, they understood. Honestly, they all found it rather amusing that the straight and narrow sheriff had married a "gun-toting nun"—as Jasper teasingly called her in private.

And, though it was obvious to everyone just how much Jasper and Alice loved each other, that hadn't kept Jasper from being nervous on their wedding day which was held as soon as Bella was well enough to attend.

Now, after several months of marriage, Jasper and Alice were happily settled in town. She'd resumed teaching and Jasper continued on as sheriff.

As Edward continued to pace, the men talked about their wedding days. Carlisle admitted that he had thought he was going to need smelling salts on the day he married Esme. Eleazar, still feeble looking all these months later, simply said that Carmen had threatened to kill him if he didn't show up at the church, though of course the threat had been unnecessary.

The men's stories were cut off as there was a knock on the door and Emmett looked in. 

Edward turned to him and asked, "It time already?"

Emmett snorted and came into the room. "You kidding? You think that the ladies are going to be ready that fast?"

The men chuckled a bit.

Emmett looked to where Eleazar, Jasper, and Carlisle were sitting, "Fellas, will you give me a few moments alone with Edward please?"

The three men nodded and got up to leave the room. After they were gone, Emmett went to sit in one of the now empty chairs and looked to Edward. "You holding up all right?"

Edward nodded and sighed a bit, tugging at his collar again.

Emmett nodded as well and continued, "Good to see you with some clothes on."

Edward scowled a bit, but Emmett just shrugged it off. "I just wanted to chat with you a bit before the ceremony."

"I'll take good care of her, Emmett," Edward said with a sigh as he moved to finally sit.

"I know you will," replied Emmett, "Do you think I'd let you get married if I didn't know that." He sighed. "Listen, Edward. Bells, well, she's the only family I've got and though she's pigheaded…"

"Seems to run in the family," Edward muttered.

Emmett glared at him and continued, "She's pigheaded, and thinks of herself as independent," he snorted and then sighed, "but, she's my baby sister and I still feel responsible for her."

Edward just nodded and waited for him to go on.

"I know she'll be happy with you. And," he added, "I know that you won't be happy living here. She's knows it too."

Edward frowned a bit, wondering where this was leading. He and Bella had discussed staying on at the Big E homestead for a while till they got a place of their own.

"What are you suggesting, Em?" Edward asked.

"Well, couple of months back Bells asked for my help with something and of course I couldn't tell her no. Was a fine idea actually and I thought she should be the one telling you, but she was afraid you'd be upset at her and all, so here I am."

Edward didn't like the sound of this so far since he had no idea where this was going.

"You know how Mallory ran that ranch into the ground, but was hiding it from everyone, including his family?" Emmett asked.

Edward looked confused now but nodded, having no idea where this was going. After they'd confronted Mallory who had been hogtied and left in the bunkhouse by Rosie and Carmen they'd found out that Mallory hadn't been as savvy a rancher as everyone thought. He'd run his ranch into the ground, borrowed too much using the land as collateral, and had been hoping that a rail line into Spoons Valley would be his salvation. Emmett's resistance to the idea had gotten in his way and that's when the trouble had started.

The Mallorys had left town with very little, having lost the Bar None to the bank. The humiliation was enough of a payback for Emmett who didn't want any more trouble despite Rosie and Carmen's protests that they should hang the bastard for what he'd done.

"Well, Bella asked me to help her acquire what used to be the Bar None," Emmett said.

"Acquire it?" Edward asked, stunned.

Emmett nodded. "Bella had more than enough from what our ma and pa left her to buy the land and some of its holdings from the bank. She wanted it to be a wedding present."

To say that Edward was stunned would have been an understatement, and what Emmett said next stunned him even more.

"So what was Mallory's is now yours and Bella's…and I'm adding a bit of land to those holdings as my own present to y'all."

Edward just sat there, staring at Emmett in shock.

"The new border between the two ranches is where it used to be, at that tree out on the southeast side," Emmett added.

Edward actually got a bit choked up at that. That was his parents' tree, his and Bella's tree…and it was where the property line used to be before his parents got married. When he finally managed to say something his voice was hoarse, "Thank you, Emmett."

Emmett nodded. "You two need your privacy. Besides, I really am tired of catching you naked." He shuddered and Edward lightly punched his arm.

Emmett chuckled a bit. "You'll be close enough that we can stop in and see each other often enough. Rosie likes the idea of that, especially with the baby coming and all."

Edward nodded. "She still refusing to marry you?"

Emmett sighed and nodded, "More pigheaded and stubborn than I am. I swear our children are going to drive me to an early grave. I think she'll give in…someday, but we're all right for now. I know she ain't going nowhere."

Edward nodded.

"You ready to get hitched?" Emmett asked as he stood up.

Edward jumped out of his seat and Emmett snickered a bit and added, "Guess so. Come on then. Let's get the ladies. Alice, Carmen, Rosie, and Esme would fuss over Bella all day if we let them."


	87. Chapter 87

"It hurts, Alice!" she said, a slight whine in her voice.

"Shush, Bella! Beauty is pain!" Alice said as she cinched the corset tighter.

"You're going to reopen my wound!" Bella hissed.

"Doc Cullen says that the wound has been healed for months now, so stop with the whining already," Alice replied as she tugged at the corset's ties.

"Seriously though, I can't breathe!" Bella complained as she was jerked about.

Carmen was fussing with Bella's bouquet, Rosie was outside making sure everything was set, and Esme just sat nearby, hands resting on her very large stomach. She'd been squirming around a bit, which had Bella worried, but Esme kept insisting that she was fine.

"You can breathe after lunch when you can change!" answered Alice as she tied off the laces to the corset.

Bella rested her hands on her waist. "Seriously, Alice, can't you loosen it up a bit?"

"No," replied Alice, "and stop asking. I've already given in to too many of your demands for this wedding."

"Well, it is her wedding, dear," Esme said with a smile.

"But, it is my vision!" said Alice as she went to get the dress from the bed where it was laid out. Alice had been planning Bella and Edward's wedding ever since she'd gotten married herself. Her own ceremony had been a small affair since there was still a pallor over everything due to all the happenings at the ranch including the loss of the poisoned cattle, Tyler's death, Bella and Eleazar's recovery from their gunshot wounds, and Mallory being all but run out of town.

Alice hadn't minded, she actually had wanted a quite wedding, but she was going to go all out for Bella and Edward. Already they'd had disagreements about location—Bella's choice of the Big E finally being decided on, the dress—they'd compromised on something that wasn't too frilly, and the food for the luncheon afterwards—Bella had just given up and let Alice do whatever she wanted for that one.

Truth of the matter was that Bella was grateful for Alice's help. She only put her foot down when it came to a couple of things and she could tell that everyone was excited about the wedding—well, everyone except Reverend Newton who had looked like she'd kicked his puppy when she told him she was marrying Edward.

Now the big day had finally arrived, and other than the fact that she couldn't breathe, Bella was excited that she was finally going to marry Edward.

Carmen had put down the bouquet of wild flowers and came over to help put the ivory colored dress on Bella. Honestly, Alice really had outdone herself. It was a beautiful creation with simple lines and just enough lace at the neckline, sleeves, waist, and hem to add flare.

As she was buttoned into the dress by Carmen, she could see why Alice had laced the corset up so tight.

"Alice, I'm surprised I even fit into this thing," said Bella.

"Oh shush," said Alice. "You look beautiful."

Esme nodded. "Yes, you do, dear. And, you should enjoy having such a tiny little waist while you can." She patted her own large pregnant stomach as if to emphasize the point.

Bella blushed at the thought of having babies with Edward and got a slightly dreamy expression in her eyes.

Rosie walked in at that moment and chuckled. "Everything is set…and it seems so is the bride."

Alice stood back, giving Bella and appraising look for just a moment before she broke into a wide grin. "Yes, I'd say she's ready."

Alice looked at Bella and asked. "Now, Bella, do all us girls need to have a chat about what you should expect tonight?"

Three voices rang out at once. "Already had a little discussion with her," said Esme. Carmen said, "Oh, she had that talk with Emmett and then me a long time ago." "She don't need no help in that area," said Rosie with a snicker.

Bella just blushed brightly as Alice looked around with wide eyes. "Well, seems you have that topic covered."

Everyone laughed and started to move out of the room, Rosie moving to help Esme out of her seat as she wondered out loud, "Am I really going to get that big?"

Esme just laughed in response.

After Carmen gave her a kiss on the cheek and handed her her bouquet and left the room with Alice Emmett came in.

Bella looked at her brother with a big smile even as Emmett got misty eyed at seeing his sister.

Going up to her he kissed her cheek then whispered hoarsely, "You look beautiful, Bells."

She blushed softly and hugged him with one arm. "Thank you, Bear."

He nodded and took a deep shaky breath as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. "You ready?" he asked.

She nodded and took her lower lip between her teeth, her brow drawn together with worry. "Did you talk to Edward about the other ranch?"

Emmett nodded and patted her hand reassuringly. "He was happy, Bella."

She let out of sigh of relief. "Oh, good."

"You have no reason to worry, Bells. He loves you and is going to do whatever he can to make you happy and provide you with a good life. Otherwise he know I'd kick his a…er, um, his behind."

Bella chuckled and kissed his cheek.

Emmett smiled and winked at her. "C'mon, let's go get you hitched." And, with that he led her out of the room.

)( )( )( )(

Other than the fact that Reverend Newton looked as solemn as if he were conducting a funeral rather than a wedding, the ceremony was beautiful.

Alice had outdone herself by probably collecting all the wildflowers within a twenty mile radius of town and she'd asked Mr. Stanley over at the general store to order some white tulle to drape over various things.

And, though Bella couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting, the only thing she really cared about was the fact that she and Edward were finally getting married.

Edward felt exactly the same way. Bella could have been wearing a potato sack and he still would have considered her the most beautiful woman alive, but dressed up as she was in white, a faint blush tinting her cheeks since she was the center of attention…well, she really did look like an angel.

They stood in front of the reverend, their friends and family watching—along with a lot of the town folk—Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett standing at Edward's side as his best men. Bella had Alice, Carmen, and Rosie by her side.

Everyone was so engrossed in Bella and Edward exchanging vows and rings that they didn't notice the way that Carlisle was intently watching his wife, or how Esme just gave him a knowing look.

Apparently Esme's water had broken, but she was trying not to interrupt the ceremony. Carlisle, being the overprotective husband that he was, wasn't about to let more time pass without checking on his wife so he tried to whisper something to Emmett discreetly so he could slip away.

"Emmett?" Carlisle asked quietly.

"Hmm?" Emmett responded, tilting his head a bit in Carlisle's direction without taking his eyes off of Bella and Edward as they went through the ceremony.

"Uh, is it all right if I use one of the rooms in your house?" Carlisle asked.

"One of the…what?" Emmett whispered back confused, still focused on the marrying couple.

"One of the rooms. I believe Esme's water just broke and…"

"Wait…WHAT!" Emmett boomed.

His timing couldn't have been better—or worse depending on your perspective. Just before he had cried out Reverend Mike had asked if there was any objections to the marriage.

Everyone stopped and looked in Emmett's direction as if he'd lost his mind.

Carlisle groaned and palmed his face.

"Not YOU!" Emmett bellowed, pointing at the reverend. "Hurry it up!"

Reverend Mike just blinked and stammered through the rest of the ceremony, which really just involved saying, "I now pronounce you man and wife."

Then Emmett turned to a stunned looking Carlisle. "Well, hurry it up, man! Get your wife inside!"


	88. Chapter 88

While the guests from town enjoyed the luncheon that had been set out outside, the family—Edward, Bella, Emmett, Rosie, Jasper, Alice, and Eleazar—stayed inside the house. Carmen was in the upstairs guest room assisting Carlisle with the delivery.

To say that everyone was tense would have been putting things mildly. The atmosphere in the parlor was as if a cloud of apprehension had settled over the group. It didn't help that every time they heard a moan or a cry of pain come from upstairs the men would turn pale and look as if they were about to throw up.

Edward just sat next to Bella on one of the couches, holding her hand tightly, looking at he was going to be sick. She didn't complain when he squeezed her hand a little too tightly and just gave him a reassuring smile.

She noticed how Emmett kept looking over at Rosie, staring at her stomach in horror despite the fact that the bump under her dress was barely noticeable. It was almost as if he expected their unborn child to jump out at him at any moment. Whenever Rosie would catch him looking, she'd just lean over, kiss him gently, chuckle, and whisper something that would get him to smile or chuckle in return.

Bella was happy to see how well her brother and Rosie were doing. True, they weren't married, but anyone that looked at them could see how happy they were together and just how much they loved each other. She'd seen enough married couples in Chicago who were married out of convenience who couldn't care less about their spouse to know that her brother and Rosie's relationship would last despite the fact that they weren't legally wed.

Rosie had stayed at the ranch after they'd returned and had helped Carmen as much as she could when it came to running the homestead and caring for both Eleazar and Bella as they recovered from their gunshot wounds. Rosie had also helped Emmett with the running of the ranch and it was clear that she belonged there with them.

It seemed that all Rosie had wanted was to be needed, and there was no doubt that they all needed her at the Big E, not just Emmett. There hadn't even been an adjustment period; it was just as if she belonged there.

Bella smiled to herself as she remembered when Emmett had found out that he was going to be a father. Her Bear had actually fainted. She had been sitting by the window of her room, still unable to move around much as she recovered. Looking out towards the front of the house she noticed Rosie and Emmett arguing, which in itself wasn't an unusual occurrence; they argued all the time and seemed to be happier because of it if that made any sense.

She'd seen them standing there hollering at each other when Rosie said something that caused her brother's expression to turn into the same one that he'd had that day Edward had hit him in the groin that day in the kitchen.

Emmett just looked stunned and then he'd crumpled to the ground.

Bella had cried out in shock and Carmen had rushed over to the window in time to catch Rosie kneeling next to Emmett's prone form, lightly slapping his cheek. That's when Carmen had run outside screaming in Spanish, "_¡Ay! __¡Dios mío de mi vida! ¿Qué le paso a El Patron?"_

Bella, unable to follow, had just watched out the window of her room as Carmen rushed outside to check on Emmett. Rosie got up, said something to a worried looking Carmen, and then both of them started hugging each other and jumping around happily while Emmett started to come to on the ground beside them.

Looking at Emmett now as he rubbed Rosie's stomach and whispered something in her ear that made her smile, Bella felt content that her brother really was happy.

Glancing to Alice and Jasper she noticed how they were both cuddled together, Alice falling asleep with her head against Jasper's shoulder. Jasper was very still and his face was impassive for the most part, though she did notice how he flinched ever so slightly whenever he heard Esme cry out from upstairs.

Alice and Jasper were just as in love and happy as Rosie and Emmett were, but their relationship was much more understated. One just had to look at their smiles when they looked at each other was enough to see that they were meant to be together. Alice had told Bella that she couldn't have imagined being more happy than she was with Jasper and that having a bunch of babies would just be the icing on the cake.

As Bella looked around the room at their friends, Edward glanced at her, wincing as he heard another cry coming from upstairs. He never really thought about what women went through when they gave birth, and while he was looking forward to having a family with Bella, the idea of her in labor terrified him, though they really weren't even close to that point.

Bella felt Edward looking at her and she turned to face him, asking with a soft smile, "Are you all right?"

He nodded and kissed her gently. "Just worried."

She touched his cheek and whispered, "I know, Edward, but she'll be all right."

Edward nodded and snuggled her closer.

)( )( )( )(

It wasn't till late evening that the Esme's cries came in quick succession and then they stopped only to be replaced by the wails of a newborn infant.

Everyone looked relieved.

Carmen came out into the parlor first, a tired smile on her face as she went to check on Eleazar, who had fallen asleep in the chair he'd been sitting in. Everyone was standing and watching her intently.

"They're all right. I just wanted to give the new parents a bit of time to themselves," she said.

She wouldn't even answer their questions when they asked if it was a girl or boy, saying she wanted to leave it up to the new parents to break the news.

It wasn't till Carlisle came out with a huge grin on his face that and said, "Would the bride and groom like to meet my son?" that everyone leapt up and congratulated him.


	89. Chapter 89

**A/N: Lemon Ahead**

* * *

It was just past twilight when Edward pulled the wagon up in front of his mother's family's homestead. The Mallory's may have lived there for several long years, but he had never really thought of it as theirs. Truth of the matter was he hadn't set eyes on the place since before he had lost it to Mr. Mallory and he was relieved to see that the place hadn't really changed. He remembered how he had played her as a young boy and he almost got choked up as he realized that this was now his home with Bella.

His eyes drifted away from the house to rest on his bride and he smiled as he saw that she was watching him.

Bella had been scrutinizing his expression as he studied the house and when his gaze finally drifted in her direction she gave him a tentative smile before she spoke. "Carmen, Alice, Rose, Esme, and I came to clean it up. Well, Esme supervised." She let her gaze drift back to the house. "The Mallory's didn't leave much of anything, but I figured we could order some furniture and we could fix it up however you want."

He just smiled at her, not saying anything as he just looked at her with adoration in his eyes.

She continued, "I know it's not the ideal place for our wedding night, but I figured with everyone stay at the Big E…"

He interrupted her by leaning in to kiss her softly and then he pulled away and whispered, "It's perfect."

He kissed her once more before he turned and climbed off of the wagon. Walking around to her side he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her down. He smiled down at her and quietly said, "Welcome home, Mrs. Masen."

She couldn't help the bright smile that lit up her face as she heard him call her that. She was about to tell him how much she liked it when he suddenly and unexpectedly swooped her up into his arms.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked.

"Carrying my bride over the threshold," he replied with a crooked smile as he carried her up the steps leading to the front porch.

There was a big of awkwardness as he tried to open the front door while still carrying her and she almost fell out of his arms. By the time she got the door open they were both giggling.

Standing inside the front door they both looked around. Bella hadn't been kidding when she said the Mallorys had taken most everything. There wasn't a piece of furniture in site, but despite that, well, it still felt like home to both of them.

After a moment Edward broke the silence between them. "I have some lanterns in the wagon."

"What do we need lanterns for?" she blinked.

"Uh, well, it's getting dark," he said as he set her down.

"Um, oh, yes, well…right."

He gave her a quick kiss. "Be right back."

Bella smiled at him and nodded as she made her way into the front room of the house. Standing there in the middle of the empty room she could imagine how it was going to look once they got settled, but she wasn't picturing couches, wallpaper, or pictures, she was imagining little copper haired boys chasing one another into the dining room and little girls with ringlets playing with their dolls.

She was brought out of this hopeful vision of the future by Edward's footfalls on the wood floor and she turned to him and smiled as he set the lit lantern in his hand down and came up to her. Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her close and buried his face against her hair and whispered, "I love you, Bella. I see you standing here and I don't just see you, I see the life that we'll be building together."

She smiled and tilted her head back to look at him. "Funny, I was thinking of the same thing."

He gave her a soft, crooked smile, and leaning in he gently brushed his lips against hers. When her arms went around him and he felt her move to fit her body more closely to his he groaned and held her closer, his tongue slowly teasing her lips apart so he could taste her.

It was easy to see how they could both get lost in the kiss so it came as a surprise when Edward suddenly ended the passionate embrace and swooped Bella up into his arms, causing her to let out another cry of surprise.

"You have got to stop doing that!" she laughed as she clutched at him.

Edward only laughed and headed towards the stairs.

Once they were up the stairs he headed the master suite and carried Bella inside. Setting her down, he kissed her again. "Wait here?"

She nodded and once she was back on her feet she turned and looked around the room. Again, there wasn't much here except a large bed.

That definitely had not been there when she had cleaned the house with the girls. As she walked up and ran her hands along the crisp, clean sheets she wondered how it had gotten there when Edward came back in carrying the lantern along with a small bag.

"When did this get here?" she asked.

Edward actually blushed a bit. "Uh, well, earlier today actually. Alice had some of the fellas bring it over from town." He shrugged and set down the things he was carrying. "Figured you'd want your first night as a married woman to be in a comfortable bed."

Bella smiled and sat on the bed. "That was very thoughtful of Alice."

Edward nodded, walked over to her, and sat next to her. When he did, Bella reached out and quietly held his hand.

They sat there in silence for a while, holding hands, when Edward finally broke the silence, "Bella, we…we don't have to do anything tonight if you don't want to."

"What do you mean?" she asked looking at him in the dim light of the room.

"Uh, well, you know," he said, glancing at the bed behind him.

She smiled, leaned in, and kissed him softly, chuckling against his lips.

"What's so funny?" he asked softly.

"Edward Masen, you're making me feel like I'm letch," she laughed.

He smiled and he pulled her down to lie on the bed next to him. "Am I now? Can't have that, can we?"

She smiled at him and rested her hand against his cheek, her fingers gently caressing his skin. Turning his head he kissed her palm lightly right before she leaned in and kissed him.

By this point, they had shared all sorts of kisses. Chaste kisses. Stolen kisses. Kisses in the midst of laughter and even kisses in the midst of tears. They shared fiery, passionate kisses and loving kisses.

This kiss put them all to shame.

It was as if every emotion that they felt, the love, tenderness, promises of hope, and desire, were all poured into this one kiss as they held each other on their wedding bed.

This time they both knew that there would be no interruptions, just as there would be no holding back. There was longing in their embrace and touches as they both began to tug at each other's clothes, desperate to uncover bare flesh, wanting nothing more than to feel each other's skin under their hands. She reveled in the feel of his callused fingers on the bare flesh of her legs as he stripped away her stockings and pantaloons.

Edward was also lost in the sensation of her small, gentle hands running along the planes of his body as she stripped away his shirt.

Bella couldn't help but smile and chuckle slightly as Edward fumbled with the ties to her corset, but the laughter quickly died on her lips when he finally tossed it aside with a curse and latched his lips onto her breast.

As his tongue moved along the taunt peak of her nipple and he suckled at her breasts while his hand covered the other, caressing it gently, her hands moved into his hair, fingers curling around the messy locks as her soft whimpers of pleasure filled the room.

Even as he continued to lick, suck, and gently nibble at her breasts, his hands moved to remove the remainder of her clothing, her petticoats sliding down her legs before he tossed them aside as well.

Once she was completely bare, he stopped though and moving away he knelt by her.

The intensity in his green eyes made her feel slightly uncomfortable as they swept over her bare form and she blushed crimson even as she fought the urge to cover herself with her hands.

When his eyes finally reached hers again and he whispered, "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," she was no longer embarrassed, and reaching for him, she pulled him down towards her again.

Once again they got lost in the kisses and the caresses. When Edward's hands moved lower, his fingers slowly sliding at her sex, they both let out groans. Hers was a groan of pleasure as his fingertips alleviated some of the ache, even as it left her wanting more. His was a groan of anticipation.

When she whispered against his lips, "Can I touch you?" he thought he would die of anticipation himself and he could only nod, afraid that he couldn't speak coherently if he tried to say anything.

Her hand moved between them and she felt his arousal through his pants. She groaned at the feel of how big and hard he was, still wondering somewhere in the back of her mind how this act was going to be possible.

The feel of her hand on him, even through the fabric of his jeans, was enough to make Edward tremble in anticipation, so instead of concentrating on wanting to get his pants off, he continued to run his finger along her entrance, marveling in how wet and warm she felt, centering his thoughts on pleasuring her before he took his own pleasure.

Of course it didn't help that Bella's hands were fumbling with the buckle of his belt and the fastening of his pants.

"Easy, Bella," he whispered huskily against her ear.

"No!" she said with determination.

He blinked and lifted his head to look at her. "No?"

"I want you," she said in response.

"Well, I want you, too, but…," the rest of what he was going to say flew right out of his head as she finally managed to get his pants undone, released his member, and wrapped her hand around it.

He tried to regain control of his senses, but then she started to move her hand. At that moment he wasn't sure if he was sorry or glad that he had gone into so much detail with Bella about what he'd been doing in the shower when Emmett caught him.

Her hand working him was…fucking fantastic.

He felt his hips moving as her hand continued to pump at him and stroke him. Kissing her passionately, hungrily, he let his finger slip inside of her completely, feeling it slide into her easily due to how wet she was.

He caught her cry of pleasure in his mouth as he started to move his finger in and out of her and his own moans filled her mouth as they both pleasured each other on the bed.

It wasn't long before he could tell that she was close to reaching her climax and he moved her hand away from his length, his fingers lacing through hers in attempt to stop her from continuing her own ministrations. He didn't want to come…not yet.

She was too lost in the pleasure building up inside of her to care as she writhed and whimpered under him, his fingers doing wickedly wonderful things to her. Grasping at his hand her body jerked against his as she climaxed, coating his finger with her juices as she did.

As she lay gasping under him he placed as soft kiss on her parted lips and he smiled when she whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said in response and he moved away from her, standing by the bed.

She frowned as he moved away from her, but then blushed when she saw that he was undressing. At that moment both of them were glad that they didn't keep into each other. Bella was a blushing bride in the very literal sense, but he had a feeling that that blush would tint her cheeks whenever she gazed upon his nakedness, even when they had been married fifty years.

She wasn't embarrassed by his nudity, honestly, it might have been rather wanton of her, but she _loved_ looking at him and seeing the reaction his body had to her.

As he lay next to her again, his strong arms wrapping around her to draw her close to him, she though the feeling of his bare skin against hers was heavenly. This feeling was only intensified as his hands started to wander over her bare flesh again, teasing…enticing.

When Edward was sure that he had her worked up again to his level of satisfaction, he settled between her legs, his body gently pressing hers into the feather mattress and he whispered, "You know this is going to hurt, sweetheart?"

Her large, chocolate brown eyes looked trustingly into his green ones and she whispered with a blush, "Yes, but only for a moment and only the once."

He nodded in response and kissed her. As the head of his cock pressed against her entrance he felt her tense a bit underneath him, but he knew that there was no point in telling her to relax. His whole body was tense with the need to drive himself into her, but he held back, making himself progress slowly, pressing into her a bit at a time.

"Christ!" he said through clenched teeth as he felt her start to envelop him.

She only let out a small squeak in response and he stopped, gasping out, "Jesus, are you okay?"

"Jesus isn't here right now," she managed to get out, trying not to think of the discomfort as he began to fill and stretch her.

He blinked and let out a startled laugh as he looked down at her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and whispered, "Yes…just…don't stop."

He looked a bit unsure, but nodded slightly before he leaned down to kiss her again, capturing her sounds of discomfort and her startled gasp as he finally pressed all the way into her.

Bella had tensed up when she felt a bit of pain, but honestly it hadn't been as much as she had been expecting and she just clung to Edward as he went still above her once he had pressed himself all the way into her.

She could feel how tense he was against her as he held still and it was only when she moved a bit under him, adjusting to how it all felt that he began to loosen up, but only slightly.

When she finally looked at him with relief and whispered, "Huh…it did fit after all," that the tension seemed to slip away as he shook a bit with laughter.

"I told you it would," he said with a smile and a chuckled.

She smiled back at him and whispered, "Well, yes, but it seemed a bit of a feat if you asked me."

They both giggled then, but the laughter quickly faded away as they kissed again.

Slowly, the passionate fire within each of them started to build up again and he started to move in her, his body rocking with hers as she slowly started to move in time with him, her body acting on instincts.

Their moans, whimpers and cries filled the room as they moved together, their bodies straining against each other's.

Bella had been uncomfortable at first, but little by little the feeling of him sliding in and out of her began to feel wonderful.

Edward was sure that he had died and gone to heaven.

It was hard for him to hold back. Bella felt perfect and he was sure he wouldn't last long, but he wanted to make it as good for her as he could.

When he started to feel his climax building, he kissed Bella hungrily, moaning loudly as he did, and then he shifted, moving back so he was kneeling between her legs.

He left one of her legs hooked around his waist even as he hooked one of her legs over his arm, spreading her further for him.

Watching her writhe in front of him the way she was and seeing himself slide in and out of her almost sent him over the edge, but he still held back and reaching down he ran his thumb along her clit, causing her to cry out in pleasure even as her hands grasped at the headboard.

It didn't take long for her to come after that and then he didn't hold back anymore, his movements becoming a bit less rhythmic and more erratic just before he came, crying out her name.

He moved out of her, collapsing on the bed next to her as he drew her close, the only sound in the room being that of their heavy breathing as they tried to catch their breath.

When he had gotten enough air he whispered, "I love you so much."

She smiled at him and managed to gasp out. "I love you too."

He chuckled and whispered, "And, I'm glad Jesus wasn't here or I'd be mighty embarrassed."

They both snuggled up to each other, laughing softly.

* * *

**A/N: Only the epilogue is left!**


	90. Chapter 90

Bella was leaning over the bed, smoothing out the quilt that covered it as she hummed quietly to herself. Her thoughts were on the things that had to get done that day, an endless list of chores that would keep her busy till twilight.

She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't hear Edward come up behind her and she let out a startled yelp as he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her rear flush up against his hips, showing her that he was rather…excited.

"Edward!" she gasped out, laughing slightly.

"Sorry, just saw you bent over and couldn't help myself," he replied with a chuckle, even as he moved one hand from her waist and used it to start lifting up her skirt and petticoats.

"Edward Masen, whatever do you think you're doing?"

He only snickered in response and as she felt his hand running along up under her skirts and petticoats, tugging down her pantaloons and then sliding between her legs she stopped thinking and only groaned, pushing back against him.

Both their groans filled the room as he felt how wet she was for him with only a few strokes of his finger.

He was fumbling with his belt when the door to their room flew open and they both looked up with startled expressions as their eldest child, Charlie, stood at the door, staring at them.

"What y'all doing?" the seven year old asked. "You spanking momma, pops? Was she bad?"

Both Edward and Bella just stood there, frozen in shock. Edward was just standing there with his belt halfway off in his hands and Bella was just bent over the bed with her skirts around her waist.

At their son's words they both scurried to straighten up with Bella tugging her petticoats and skirts down and Edward putting his belt back in place.

"Uh, yeah, that's right, son." Edward said, giving Bella a sheepish look as she looked at him with a blushing glare.

"How many lickings is she getting?" Charlie asked as he came into the room and pounced onto the freshly made bed, looking at his parents with curiosity.

"Uh…" Edward said, sliding his hand through his untamed hair.

He was saved from having to say anymore as Bella scolded the boy. "Charles Masen, get off my freshly made bed!"

The boy hunched his shoulders a bit and slid off the bed, trying to smooth out the quilt.

"And, how many times do your father and I have to keep telling you that you have to knock before entering a room?"

"Sorry, momma," Charlie replied.

Shaking her head Bella sighed and she pulled the boy towards her, leaning over to kiss the top of his head.

Charlie responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her tummy a bit before he looked over at his father.

"I just wanted to tell y'all and Uncle Em and Uncle Jasper are downstairs waiting."

At that moment Edward was glad that it had been Charlie that had interrupted them instead of Emmett. There had been too much of that over the years, the night before their wedding having started precedence.

"Thanks, son." He gave Bella a crooked smile and headed towards the bedroom door, following his boy. He stopped though and turned to Bella who was fumbling under her skirts. "You coming?"

"Give me a chance to pick up my drawers!" she hissed.

He chuckled and made his way downstairs.

He smiled as he passed the parlor. Rina, their housekeeper who helped Bella around the homestead with everything from childcare to cooking and cleaning, was there, watching his two youngest, five year old Billy and three year old Harry. Both boys were playing with a set of carved out barnyard animals that he had made for Charlie when he was younger. Now, Charlie tried to pretend that he was too big for those toys, but both Edward and Bella could see the envy in his eyes when his two younger brothers had taken over playing with them.

He watched as Twilight, their old cat, moved between the boys, knocking over several of the toys. Billy, the calmest of their children, simply sighed and started to straighten up the pieces, setting them on their feet again. Harry, already vocal at three, pointed his finger at the cat and said, "Bad kitty!"

He shook his head, smiled and said, "You boys don't give your momma a hard time today, you hear?"

Both boys looked up and while Billy simply nodded, Harry held up his arms, demanding, "Go with poppop."

Edward went over kissed the boy on the top of his head and shook his head. "Not today, buddy."

As expected, Harry started yowling and Billy let out a sigh, hunching his shoulders over his ears as he tried to drown out his brother's cries.

By this time Bella had come into the room and had picked up Harry, soothing him quietly.

Edward looked over at Billy, ruffled the boy's hair and kissed the top of his head, quietly saying, "Take care of your momma and brother for me," before he straightened up, kissed Bella, and made his way outside.

Emmett was there, helping Charlie to saddle up his pony.

"At the rate you're growing, you're going to need a full grown horse soon," Emmett said as he set the saddle in place.

Emmett had a special bond with his nephews most likely due to the fact that he had four girls of his own. Edward knew that he wanted a boy, but from what Bella had told him, Rosie had insisted that their fourth girl was their last child. Those girls were the center of their father's world though and between him, Rosie, and their "'_buelitos_"—as they affectionately called Carmen and Eleazar—those girls wanted for nothing.

It was funny how things turned out. Emmett and Rosie had their four girls. Jasper and Alice had their daughter and son. Esme and Carlisle had little Edward who was almost nine now. And, he and Bella had their three boys. Somehow he had a feeling that that was it. There would be no more kiddos coming, but it wasn't as if that wasn't enough. They were a large, happy brood who were as close as could be despite the fact that not all of the shared the same blood.

As he came down the steps Jasper said, "Well, there you are. Thought you were never coming down."

Emmett looked over. "It's about time, too. What took you so long?"

Edward was about to say something when Charlie answered the question. In a matter-of-fact tone he said, "Pops was punishing momma."

Both Jasper and Emmett blinked, looking over at Edward who was actually blushing.

"What?" Emmett said, his tone dangerous. Edward might have been married to his sister for over nine years, but he was ready to take down his brother-in-law at the drop of a hat if he thought his sister was being hurt.

It was taking Edward a while to come up with a good explanation so before he could say anything Charlie continued, answering in his innocence, "He was taking off his belt and had momma bent over the bed with her skirts around her waist." He looked to his uncle and added, "That means she must have been _real_ bad."

Jasper was hiding a smirk behind his hand and Emmett just stood there a moment before he bellowed, "Jesus Christ, Edward!"

Edward just groaned and palmed his face.

Emmett continued, "What kinda kinky stuff have you got my sister into? I'd of thought you'd of gotten over it after all these years! The nightdress! What I caught you doing in the shower! Now this?"

Edward was turning all shades of red while Jasper was openly laughing now.

Charlie looked confused and looked over to his father. "Pops? What'd Uncle Em catch you doing in the shower?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Translation: "'**_**buelitos**_**" = **_**Abuelos**_** is grandparents in Spanish. **_**Abuelitos**_** is an affectionate way of saying that (like granny or gramps). The kids have shortened this even more.**

**Yes, folks, that's the end of Lonesome Hearts. I know it's probably not the ending most of you wanted or expected, but I didn't want to try to pack a lifetime into the epilogue. I just wanted to give you a taste of what Bella and Edward's future turned out to be.**

**I want to thank you all for reading, reviewing, and recommending LH to your fellow FF readers. If you haven't reviewed up to this point, please leave one line letting me know how you like the entire story.**


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